Ranko's Makeover
by Sunshine Temple
Summary: (revised ch2 is up) Nodoka is worried about the youngest Tendo-girl's self image and she has a plan. Read the warning at the start of the fic
1. Chapter 1   Chaos and Complications

Ranko's Makeover 

Yet Another Ranma Sailor Moon fic thingy.

By Josh Temple

Naturally, I own neither Sailor Moon nor Ranma. So here's the disclaimer

Ranma 1/2 and its characters and settings belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Kitty, and Viz Video. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC.

Other works can be found at my If you have any dislike for the concept of Ranma as a Sailor Senshi or of Ranma pretending to be Ranko, please STOP reading.  The rest of you still reading, enjoy this damn little project of mine, one that would not leave my mind and delayed my other projects, such as the Return.

Sigh, I can't believe I wrote this. Well given what I've done to Ranma in Generation Lost and The Return, it was only natural.

Chapter 1 -  Chaos and Complications

            Nodoka was worried about  the youngest Tendo girl. Despite having a confident and spirited exterior, the older woman felt that the girl was hiding something.  It seemed that young woman disliked her body.  Nodoka knew that such problems were not uncommon with teenage girls. She also knew that if left unchecked they could develop into full blown disorders.

            She felt that all Ranko needed was a push in the right direction.  If Ranko could be shown that she really was a beautiful girl, then she would feel much better about who she was.

            To accomplish this Nodoka had formed a plan. She just hoped that Ranko would agree to it.  Nodoka smiled when she saw the building up ahead.  Soon she would find out.           

* * *

            Ranma sat in the bathroom holding a bar of soap in her hands.  It was one of several that she had, but she was loath to use them, especially to lock her in her female form.  She would not even be having the decision except for one thing:  she missed her mother and wanted to spend time with her, even if it was as Ranko. However, she did not want to risk her mother finding out about the curse.

            Ranma finally decided on using the waterproof soap.  According to Nodoka, their special weekend would only last a few days, and she had been stuck in her cursed form longer than that before.

* * *

            Nodoka sighed as she looked at the small suitcase and large backpack the redhead was carrying.  The girl hardly had any decent clothing, and the few feminine clothes she did have almost seemed to be costumes that were worn once and forgotten.

            "Where are we going Auntie?" Ranma asked.  She had noticed that after they got off at a Juuban subway station they had not taken the normal route to Nodoka's house.

            "It's a surprise, Ranko.  I think you'll like it," Nodoka reassured with a smile. The girl had cooperated so far.

            "Um alright," the redhead replied warily.  

            After a couple blocks they had arrived at the destination Nodoka had in mind.  "Umm, I'm not so sure about this," Ranma said as she eyed the salon. A sign on the door proclaimed the establishment to be "Kikuko's Beauty Parlor"  Through the large glass windows she could see a few women getting their hair styled. "I really don't think this is a good idea."

            "It's okay dear," Nodoka soothed.  "You don't have to do anything you don't want to. How about you just go in for a wash and maybe a trim?"

            Ranma looked at her mother's eyes.  The store seemed normal,  as did it's patrons and employees.   "Fine. If it will make you happy," she said, giving in. "But nothing permanent, just a wash, and maybe a trim," Ranma added, her face stern.

            "Of course," Nodoka said, her face brightening.  That was all she expected really. She would have to take baby steps with Ranko, but this was progress.

            The two women then entered the salon.

* * *

            In addition to being the owner, Kikuko Ayanami was the head stylist.  Today she had cleared a spot in her schedule to do a personal favor for one of her longtime clients. The woman looked up from her desk when she heard the door open. There was Nodoka and with her was another girl.  The stylist in her appraised the young woman.  She had potential, great potential, unfortunately she looked to be quite the tomboy. However, Kikuko had a plan.

            "Ranko, this will be your stylist, Mrs. Ayanami," Nodoka introduced.

            "Please call me Kikuko," the stylist said in a friendly voice. "What would you like today?" she asked the redhead who seemed to still be evaluating the situation.

            "Just a wash and a trim," Nodoka stated.

            "Okay," Kikuko replied, "You can take the center chair when your ready," she told Nodoka as she pointed to the only open styling chair. "Ranko  will have to go in the back with me."

            Ranma  looked over the woman. With luxurious chestnut-colored hair and a good looking body, she had to be in her late twenties at the oldest.  While Ranma did not trust the stylist further than she could throw this store, she did not feel any ill intention from the woman.  She shrugged and followed the stylist into the back room.  Inside she found a replica of the facilities in the front area, except on a smaller scale.  There were only two styling chairs in this room as opposed to the five in the front.

            "I wanted to expand the number of people the store could handle. Unfortunately, this dividing wall is load bearing," Kikuko explained as she tapped the wall that divided the front room from the back room.  "Now if you don't mind, please sit in the washing chair,"  Kikuko said as she pointed to a chair that had a sink designed for washing hair in it.

            Ranma leaned back into the chair.  A towel was placed in between the curved cutout of the sink and her neck to prevent water from dripping.  Kikuko then closed the door and started playing some soothing white noise music. 

            The stylist then unbraided the redhead's hair. "What do you want with this cord?" Kikuko asked holding a thread-like object that had been braided into the girl's hair.

            "Just put it off to the side," Ranma said, looking at the dragon's whisker.

            The stylist then inspected the redhead's hair.  She was trying to figure out what shampoo would be best. She had a sinking suspicion as to which one it would be.  As she did this she tried to convince the girl to try a different style.  The teen was adamant in sticking to just a wash and maybe shortening her pigtail. 

            Kikuko nodded she had expected as much,  fortunately she had a secret weapon.  One of the many shampoos she ordered had a special ingredient in it.  This particular hair care product was sold to her by a very persuasive woman with a odd hair color that was expertly dyed.

            Supposedly, it was the powdered petals of a flower that when placed in a woman's hair made them into ideal housewives. Once the flower was removed the woman would revert back to normal. Normally Kikuko would have chuckled at such nonsense, but this shampoo did have an unusual effect.

            The stylist found that it was most effective at rounding off the edges of tomboys.  Much like the flower that it is used in it, the shampoo only lasts for a limited time.  To maintain it's effectiveness the shampoo must be used daily, otherwise it will wear off.

            This should be exactly what this redhead needed. Kikuko then proceeded to  wet  the redhead's hair. She then took one of the bottles and poured some into her hand and started massaging it into the girl's hair.

            Ranma smiled at the pleasant smell of the shampoo.  It reminded her of lilacs. The massaging being done to her scalp also felt real good. Even the background music was nice and soothing. The stylist engaged her in small talk and Ranma responded, not wanting to be rude to the woman.  Ranma felt very relaxed and if not for the conversation with Kikuko, might have fallen asleep.

            As Kikuko got to work she found that even with the help of the shampoo this girl would be a tough nut to crack.  Surprisingly, the poor redhead did not even have a female self image.  This is the first thing Kikuko must remedy, if she hoped to make Ranko into the young woman that Nodoka wanted her to be.

            Ranma's mind numbed even further as the shampoo began to work into her. The redhead did not notice when her thinking switched.  She was a boy cursed to be in a girl's body one moment and a girl the next. 

            After this happened she became much more receptive to the conversation with her stylist and the suggestions the woman was putting forth. Kikuko kept asking her about what her goals were, what values were important to her, how did she want to conduct herself. Each time the redhead answered, the stylist would offer suggestions to how she might do things better.  The young woman was appreciative of Kikuko's help.

            The redhead got her views on femininity from two main sources.  Her father, despite being widely discredited to her, was still a very large part of her childhood. The other was her mother, a recent addition to her life, but nonetheless one with considerable sway.

            From Genma she knew that girls were weak, emotional, in need of protecting, lacked martial arts skill, girlish, and supposed to be wives and mothers. From Nodoka's example she knew that women should be motivated and driven yet always obedient to their husbands, talk in a gentle tone and with kind words, be affectionate, be ladylike, and be wives and mothers.

            These two groups of ideas  meshed and with the chemically assisted pushing of the stylist remade the girl's personality.  Different thoughts, habits, and manners were brought forward and covered her mind in a thick coating of femininity.

            The girl having her hair washed knew that as an aspiring wife and mother she must be ladylike, polite, kind, gentle, affectionate, and emotional.  She was determined to get the training to become the best woman she could be.

            Kikuko was pleased with her progress. Ranko was coming along very nicely.  The girl she was talking to now was vastly better than the one that walked into this room. There was one oddity. When Kikuko started she asked Ranko what she did in her free time.  The redhead's immediate response was martial arts. Now however...

            "No, I'm not a martial artist," Ranko replied as she thought about how her hair should be styled.  "When I was younger I did a bit, but I never learned much.  I stopped because it was inappropriate," the redhead explained. She was a girl and not supposed to do martial arts. She was glad for this. Fighting was such an ugly thing.

            Ranko supposed that if she ever found herself in a fight she would try to talk her way out. Failing that she'd have someone step forward and protect her. If there is no one else then with great reluctance she would defend herself. She did doubt as to what she could do. After all, she was a girl and had no real skill.

            Kikuko dismissed the discrepancy.  Obviously, Ranko simply found her old hobby distasteful in light of her new outlook on life.  Everything else about her was the same.  She was still Ranko Tendo. She still lived in Nerima with her cousins and uncle.

            Now with an appreciative client, Kikuko can discuss what to do with her hair with Ranko's enthusiastic input. The stylist knew that the girl would now want more than just a wash and a trim.

            She dried Ranko's hair and took her to one of the styling chairs and got to work. The redhead's hair was then trimmed and sculpted. The untamed mop that was once tied into a pigtail was controlled and shaped.

            It became a gently curving and wavy body that had a slight part on her left and spilled down to Ranko's shoulder blades in a waved cascade. The style was rather close to that of Nodoka's save for the brilliant red color and that her hair was loose instead of in a bun.

            Kikuko finished and turned Ranko's chair around so she can see her reflection. Ranko beamed when she saw her new hairstyle. "It is so beautiful and elegant!" she gushed as she hugged her stylist.

            Kikuko smiled.  Having a girl come around was the most rewarding part of her job. "Now, we've finished your hair."

            Ranko pouted at her reflection. Her new hair simply accentuated the other problems with her body, her ragged nails, her lack of makeup, and  her unpierced ears were the first things that came to her mind.. "Would you mind if we go further?  I still need a lot of work," Ranko pleaded.

            "Sure thing, I've got the afternoon free," Kikuko assured the girl.  She did have another appointment in a couple hours but she could switch off with one of her other girls if need be.  Ranko's makeover was more important. "I'll just tell your aunt," Kikuko said as she left.

            "Don't let her see me. I want it to be a surprise," Ranko then said with a mischievous grin.

            The stylist smiled and left the room closing the door behind her.

* * *

            "You mean she wants a full makeover? How'd that happen?" Nodoka asked, shock on her face.  Her own styling had finished just a few minutes ago and she was reading a magazine in the waiting area.

            "I convinced her to try something new with her hair.  After she saw it, she just had to have the rest," Kikuko explained.  Technically it was true.  Ranko just needed a bit of assistance.

            "I knew that she was in denial, and that a little push would help her, but I never imagined that she would go over this quick," Nodoka observed with amazement. "And she wants everything?  Oh dear."

            "Don't worry, I'll give you a nice discount."

            "You don't have to. I have no problem paying."

            "No, I insist.  I love helping girls discover their feminine side. Now don't come in. She wants you to be surprised."

            "If I can't convince you." Nodoka acquiesced. She then smiled, and began to think. Given Ranko's epiphany, she would have to change their whole itinerary.

            Kikuko congratulated herself on the service she had just done for these two women and went back to Ranko.

* * *

            "You really think so?" Kikuko asked.

            "If it will get rid of my body hair and smooth my skin? Yes," Ranko answered.

            "It will be painful," the stylist cautioned.

            "If it's too much we can stop."

            Kikuko nodded and got the necessary supplies for Ranko's bikini wax. The redhead had very little body hair and a surprising pain tolerance. The job was quickly completed.

            After Ranko was cleaned up from the waxing, the stylist showed Ranko a special cream that moisturized and softened her skin.  Some of it was demonstrated on her skin. Pleased with the results, Ranko asked if it could be put on the rest of her body. 

            Ranko's ears were  pierced.  She was told how to rotate the gold studs and how long they must stay in for the holes to become permanent.  The redhead then received a manicure and a pedicure.  Her finger nails were extended to give an overhang of three-tenths of an inch, shaped, and glossed. Their color would be determined later to match her new clothing.

            Ranko's eyebrows were then trimmed into perfect feminine arcs. The redhead smiled as this was being done for her.  She felt like she was in a chrysalis being transformed into something new and beautiful.

            Kikuko then handed Ranko a robe and a pair of slippers.  She then lead the girl out the back door of the small room and into the Salon's storeroom. From there they went up a pair of stairs and enter another storeroom.  This one was for a clothing store.

            The proprietor, a friend of Kikuko's, was surprised to see them coming in the back, but if they had gone up the front steps Nodoka would have seen Ranko. Kikuko then found a pair of panties and a bra for the redhead, and they start looking for the perfect dress. 

            Ranko finally selected a tight little green dress with a black belt, dark green three inch high heels, and a green and black purse. Kikuko paid for the clothing and added it to the reduced bill she was going to give Nodoka. Confidently walking in her heels and dress, Ranko followed her stylist back to the salon.

             With Kikuko's help Ranko painted her long nails a matching green.  A nice subtle perfume was then sprayed around her. Then came her makeup. Kikuko explained to Ranko some of the basics as she applied it on the girl's face. The stylist was confident that Nodoka could teach the girl the rest. Lipstick, foundation, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow all accented her face in a subtle yet sexy way that was designed to catch the eye.

            "Finished," Kikuko said as she placed the tube of lipstick in Ranko's hand.  The redhead placed it in her purse with some other cosmetics.

            Ranko then got up and looked at her reflection.  "I really do clean up nice," she laughed as she gave several poses in front of the mirror.

            Kikuko smiled in satisfaction. She then supplied Ranko samples of the makeup, moisturizers, and other beauty aids that were used in the makeover.  Included in the shoebox sized package were several bottles of the shampoo that was used. 

            "Oh Ranko, do you want that cord that was in your hair before?" Kikuko asked.

            Ranko looked at the thread.  She remembered keeping it in her hair, but could not place the reason for why it did seem somewhat important, maybe sentimental reasons.  "Might as well," she finally said, as she put it in her purse.

            "Remember the use this shampoo every time you shower," Kikuko said. For today's changes to last Ranko would have to keep putting the shampoo in her hair.

            "Why wouldn't I?" Ranko asked.  "It feels so good and it makes my hair so silky," the redhead stated as she passed a manicured hand through her styled hair.

            "Oh no problem," Kikuko said as she looked at the pair of shampoo bottles in the box with Ranko's other stuff. "Ready to show your aunt?"

            Ranko smiled and nodded.

* * *

            Nodoka watched in disbelief at the young woman that glided out of the back room.  Gone were the ugly pants and shirt, instead she was wearing a lovely dress that matched beautifully with her hair. Nodoka chucked at the girl's hairstyle.  It was a crimson and loose version of her own.  The woman admired Kikuko's skill for getting that mane under control.

            She was also amazed not only at how complete the makeover was, but how naturally Ranko was taking it.  "My god you're stunning, absolutely stunning," Nodoka finally said to the girl she considered her niece.

            Ranko smiled and twirled around showing her aunt the back of her dress and the spill of her hair.  The girl then  walked over to Nodoka, embraced her and kissed her on the cheek.  "Thank you so much.  You were right. I had no idea what I was missing," Ranko gushed.

            "I knew you'd come around," Nodoka responded holding the girl in tight.

            Eventually, they broke apart and Ranko then hugged her stylist.  "Thank you  for what you've done."

            "It was my pleasure," Kikuko replied as she handed Ranko the box with her supplies in it.

            Kikuko then took Nodoka aside to discuss the bill.  Nodoka thought that the discount was too much, but the stylist refused to accept any more money. While this happened Ranko went to the bags she brought with her.

            She shook her head as she went over what she had brought.  Hardly any skirts, no dresses, no bras, only one set of underwear, What was she thinking? The vast majority of the stuff was useless to her.

            Ranko started sorting the items.  The things she might one day use went in her little suitcase and the items she had no idea how they even got there went in that clunky backpack.  By the time she was finished she had enough room in her suitcase to put the package Kikuko had made for her inside.

            "What's going on?" Nodoka asked after she had paid the bill.

            "Oh I'm just getting rid of a few things," Ranko said as she picked up her suitcase. "Would you mind throwing out that stuff?" the redhead asked her stylist while pointing at her old backpack.

            "Sure thing," Kikuko smiled.

            "Would you mind if we go shopping?" Ranko asked Nodoka.

            "Not at all," Nodoka smiled.

* * *

            From the roof of another building a green haired woman watched two other women leave a salon. Sailor Pluto then sighed in contentment.  A highly probable risk had just been negated. It was all a matter of placing the right item in the right person's hand at the right time. She was just amazed that things had gone off so well.

            The former martial artist was not the first risk that she had neutralized nor would it be the last. Now the probability of Crystal Tokyo was much better. As it was not really Ranma's fault Pluto had devised of a humane way to deal with him.  Ranko will happily live out her life, and a horrible cascade in the timeline will be adverted.

            Pluto gave one last look at the redhead before teleporting out.

* * *

            After stopping at Nodoka's house to drop off Ranko's suitcase. The two women went to a nearby mall. They would have gone to the clothing shop that was above the salon, but the mall was closer and they needed things other than clothing. There Nodoka helped the younger woman build up a wardrobe for her.

            "I don't know," Ranko stated as she studied how the skirt and blouse combination showed off her body.  "If I get this blue skirt then I can match it with those sandals I got, both of those belts, and that one little top.  On the other hand if I get that white skirt, I can get those cute little sandals, which would then match with that scoop-necked dress in that last shop."

            "I'm sure you can make the right decision," Nodoka assured the girl.  She could easily have bought both of the skirts for Ranko.  There was more enough in the funds that Nodoka had set aside for this little project.  However, making the girl choose forced her to make decisions as to what clothing to buy helped her gain an appreciation for making the most of her clothing and buying what was important and not wasting it on stuff she would not wear.

            So far, Ranko preferred dresses and skirts that were very feminine, short, and tight, while still staying tasteful. Her tastes in clothing seemed to lean towards attracting a mate. Ranko knew it was a bit early for her to catch a husband.  She needed some more training, but it did not hurt to practice.

            "I think the blue would be good. It matches my eyes!" Ranko chirped as she dashed back into the changing room.

            Nodoka smiled again.  It was simply amazing how well the girl had adapted. It was almost as if there was another person inside of her just waiting for the opportunity to get out.  Ranko's fashion sense was also developing along nicely.  Nodoka then noticed the next garment that Ranko had put on.  "No absolutely not!" the older woman stated.

            "I won't wear it outside.  It will be just in case," Ranko pleaded. The redhead had put on a leotard-like garment that was made out of a sparking clear material.  Spirals of a silver material sewn into it kept her technically decent while leaving nothing to the imagination.  She was also perched on matching silver and clear spiked heels. 

            "I know what you want that for," Nodoka observed. "And you're still too young.  You shouldn't get married until you finish school."

            "But I need to be prepared," Ranko pouted with her head hung down.  She knew she had lost.  She could not argue with her aunt.

            "No, now go and change," Nodoka said to the saddened redhead.  The woman sighed as she watched the girl walk back to the changing room. Ranko then came back out wearing the green dress that she had gotten from the shop above the salon.

            "Okay, I'm done," Ranko said as she gathered the clothing she wanted.  She would have preferred to keep shopping but her aunt had said that this was the last clothing shop they would go to.

            "Great," Nodoka said as she watched the cashier ring up the items. "Now we can get you some more makeup."

            Ranko grinned.  The makeup in that package that her stylist had given her was a nice start, but now she needed to fill it out.

            Nodoka helped Ranko carry her many clothing boxes.  This was the other reason she was planning to build the girl's wardrobe in stages.  Fortunately there was only the makeup and beauty aids store and one other left.

            Kikuko was correct in that Nodoka would know how to teach Ranko about makeup.  As the older woman lead her niece through the cosmetics store she explained to her what the various products did and which ones would be good for her skin type, eye color, hair color, and other such factors.

            Nodoka was pleased with her charge's inquisitiveness and her memory for what went with what. She knew that once she taught Ranko the basics of application the girl would pick it up rapidly.  Nodoka relished the idea of tutoring such a receptive girl

            'That's the last of it," Ranko exclaimed as she balanced the bags of cosmetics with the boxes clothing she carried.

            "Not quite, there's one last thing. It's a surprise." Nodoka grinned.  Originally she was planning on doing this later, but Ranko had been so wonderful and made such progress today she had to reward her.

            Ranko's blue eyes brightened.  Given how amazing this day was she knew that this last thing had to be something spectacular.  When she saw the shop that Nodoka was leading her to, the redhead squealed in delight.

            It was a jewelry store.

            Nodoka then escorted the young woman into the establishment. When Ranko had entered the various clothing shops and the cosmetics store her face had brightened, but now it positively glowed.

            "I'm so very proud of you today," Nodoka said, her voice straining to stay even.  "I'm going to let you pick out any three things. Just nothing too expensive. I'm not made of money," she joked.  While Nodoka would technically have been able to pay for the three most expensive items.  It would have severally drained her savings.

Her family if not astoundingly wealthy was then very comfortable. 

            Nodoka would never have to work a day in her life.  She feared that this was one of the reasons Genma had married her.  Fortunately, her accounts had been set up so that she was the only one that could access them.

            Ranko placed her other purchases down and then wandered around the store like a kid in a candy-store.  The first thing she eliminated were rings.  The only ring she wanted would have to be given to her by a man.

            She then found a pair of earrings that caught her eye.  It was a pair of hanging earrings.  The gems in them were largish teardrop-shaped fire opals. Their color was stunning. Hot oranges, yellows, and reds of such brightness that they looked as if they might glow in the dark were reflected from the depths of the crystals.

            Nodoka approved of the earrings, and Ranko went to her next selection.  It was in the watch section that the redhead found the next piece that stood out. The timepiece's band was made out of gold heart-shaped links.  The watch itself was also made of gold and shaped like a heart.

            The woman that worked in the jewelry store saw Ranko inspecting the watch.  She then pulled it out of the glass case and handed it to the girl. The redhead put the watch on.  Much to her relief the band fit her wrist perfectly. She then took if off so that she could get a closer look.

            Under a glass cover, its face was silver, and it had pink numbers written in a fancy script. Also on the face and written in the same pink script were three groups of letters, AM, PM, and Alarm. After each was a small circle.  The ones for Alarm and AM were silver while the one for PM was pink. There were three hands on the watch.  Their ends were all heart-shaped. Two were silver with a pink outline and the third was gold.

            There was a gold heart-shaped button on either side of the watch.  Ranko tested them out and found that the one on the right wound the watch and when pulled out moved the two pink hands to set the time.

            The other button was used to move the gold hand.  Much to her delight when this one was pulled out it made the dot next to the word Alarm switch from pink to silver and back again.  Ranko then adjusted the alarm and activated it so that she could test it.

            She was rewarded by a series of musical notes that while pleasant would be attention grabbing.  Ranko doubted that it would wake her up, but that was not the point of such an alarm.

            The redhead showed the watch to Nodoka.  When the older woman nodded she  happily put it next to her earrings. Ranko then started looking for her final piece.  It had to be something real special.

            She found what she was looking for in the necklace section.  Hanging from a simple gold chain was a round glass sphere.  Inside of it was a gold hawk-like bird.  Impressed by the detail Ranko asked if she could see it.

           Holding it in her hands, the girl was able to see the impressive level of detail of the bird. The eyes were tiny fire opals.  The bird was perched on a small golden rock outcropping in the bottom of the sphere, and it's wings were spread out as if it were about to take off.

            The gold was amazingly reflective and the bird looked like its feathers were made of fire. Ranko concluded that it must be a phoenix. She smiled at this.  It was an excellent symbol for today's events.  The young woman added it to the watch and earrings.

            Nodoka smiled at the girl's selections.  They were very beautiful pieces of jewelry, and were not too much beyond the what she had expected to pay.  She purchased the items and handed them to Ranko.

            The redhead joyfully put the watch on her left wrist and set it to the correct time. She then slipped the necklace over her neck and put it under her dress. The girl pulled out the studs she got when she had her ears pierced and quickly put the hanging ones in their place.

            Nodoka smiled as her niece showed off her new jewelry.  As her earrings swung back and forth, they caught the light and reflected it back in a collection of reds, oranges and yellows that made them seem as if they were on fire.  Her watch was amazingly cute, and her necklace was very appropriate for the changes Ranko had gone through.

            Ranko and Nodoka then picked up their purchases and left the shopping mall. Both women felt exhilarated by the day's events. Ranko hummed happily the entire walk to Nodoka's home. Once they arrived, they unpacked  Ranko's new clothing, makeup, and items and set to converting the spare bedroom into Ranko's new room.

* * *

            A man sat drinking in a bar.  He was alone in one of the corner booths.  Wearing a pair of faded jeans, a checkered shirt and a leather bomber jacket, he had been kicking back drinks for a couple hours.

            His waitress wearily served him another rum and coke.  She had one problem working in a bar that was a rather good replica of an old London pub.  The place attracted its share of foreigners.  The vast majority of them were good customers who simply enjoyed the familiarity of the English-style bar.

           Every once in a while, however, this place attracted strange and disconcerting people. The lone man she was serving, while pleasant and polite enough, seemed to be on the verge of doing something rash.  Naturally, she had warned the bartender, her fellow waitresses, and the other staff about him and was keeping her eye on him.

            She sighed in exasperation when she saw that the man in the corner booth was joined by another foreigner.  Given his glazed expression and rumpled clothes, this one looked like he had just stepped of the plane.

            "This better be good," the recent arrival said as he sat down.

            "I appreciate your promptness.  You did have a long journey," the man in the leather jacket replied, emphasizing the word "long" with amusement.

            "You should know I'm under contract."

            "I know. Not even an edict from The Almighty Himself could convince you to stop.  It's very admirable dedication, but also very dangerous."

            The man in the rumpled suit shrugged.  "I do what I have to do. I also seem to recall you having an agenda that is different from the big guy's."

            "The reason I asked you here is for advice."

            "You know my fee for such consulting."

            "I know and I believe I have something that you would find most appreciative," he said as he pulled a photo out of his jacket and handed it to the other man.

           "A rare item. Excellent condition," the man in the suit commented as he studied the image.  He flipped the photo over. On the back was an address and what looked like a very long serial number. "I trust it is fully functional?" he inquired as he adjusted his silver tie clip.

            "Naturally."

            "Then what do you wish advisement on?"  
            "I have a problem.  One of my avatars has been neutralized."

            "How was the person killed?"

            "Oh he wasn't killed.  No, just brainwashed and mutilated.  And he showed such promise!  The ripples his existence could have caused would have been amazing."

            The man in the suit shook his head.  Angst did not suit the being that sat across from him. "Would you mind explaining the situation?" he asked his client.

            The man in the leather jacket nodded and began to describe the day's events.

            "I can see why you wanted my assistance."

            "You do have the experience in this field."

            "Why don't you just keep her from getting to the shampoo for a couple days?  The effect will wear off. It would just be like the time he got hit on the head and thought he really was a girl."

            "That has not happened yet," the other man pointed out. "Besides, it's too simple.  I want to stick it into her face.  She thinks that by turning one of my avatars into this thing she can stop my influence on her future. Who does she think she is?" the casually-dressed man demanded as he slammed his glass down on the table.

            "Her arrogance is most irritating," the man in the suit noted to what he was consulting. He gave one last look at the photograph before putting it away in a pocket.

            "I want to make her pay.  I want to hurt her where it counts."

            "And that's why you asked for me," the man in the suit stated.  "You wanted the help of someone who's  done it before."

            "I know you can't act here.  It's way beyond your jurisdiction, but I'm sure that artifact is more than enough for you to divulge some of your methods."

            "Only for the narrow band to accomplish what you want."

            "Agreed."

* * *

            Wearing a frilly apron over her blue skirt and white and blue top, Ranko leaned over and checked the turkey breast and sweet potatoes she was roasting in the oven.  Satisfied with how they were cooking she walked back to the fridge to prepare the salad. She hummed to herself as her blue Mary Jane's clicked on the tile floor.

            Nodoka watched the cooking from a seat at the kitchen table. She was duly impressed by the progress the redhead was making.  For dinner tonight her task was to prepare an American Thanksgiving meal.  The only differences were that Nodoka required Ranko to  adjust the portions so that they would not have days and days of leftovers.

            For this meal she simply told Ranko what she wanted.  It was then the redhead's job to figure out what she needed, buy it, modify the recipes, and cook it. Nodoka smiled at the culmination of four days of cooking training.  It was amazing how quickly the girl learned.

            Since they had returned from that trip to the mall on Ranko's first day, Nodoka had not prepared a single meal. Instead, she instructed the redhead on how to cook every meal since then.  As Ranko progressed, Nodoka instructed less and less.

            "Excuse me Auntie, could you please watch the food while I freshen up?"  Ranko asked after stirring the gravy. "It should be fine, but it doesn't hurt to be cautious."

            "Sure thing," Nodoka replied, happily.

            Ranko took off her apron and sauntered into the bathroom.  After she took care of business she washed her hands and then she inspected her appearance.   Not only was today the first day she had made her own feast, but it was also the first day she had gotten ready entirely on her own.

            She had showered using her special shampoo, a bit of that special body soap, and some more of her moisturizing body wash.  She then patted herself dry and set to work on her hair.  Ranko made sure that it maintained its wave and curl and that it parted in the right place and fell back correctly.  

            She then put on her robe and went back to her room. There she selected clothing, got dressed, switched her studs for her hanging earrings and put on her watch and necklace. Ranko then tackled her makeup and re-coloring her nails.  The end result was something that was almost as good as the makeup job that Kikuko had done four days ago.

            Ranko's attention went back to her current appearance.  Her makeup had required some minimal touchup.  Fortunately, she was able to accomplish this using items solely from her purse.  It was an interesting challenge.  There was a limited space, but she had to take a fair number of items.

            As she put her makeup back in her purse a pink address book fell out and landed on the counter.  It opened to a page somewhere in the middle.  Written in the neat, feminine handwriting that Ranko now had was a name followed by a few sentences. Ranko had made the letters very small to make the most of the book. Nodoka was having her spend a couple hours improving her penmanship every day, and it was now starting to pay off.

            Ranko blushed a bit and giggled as she read the entry that the book had fallen open to. It was the first one she had made in this book.  It detailed the name, height, approximate weight, age, eye color, hair color, attractiveness, personality, hobbies, conversational aptitude, general rating, and a few other factors, of the butcher's assistant that she had bought the turkey from at the market today. After she bought the meat she chatted with him for a bit.

            He was good looking, but it was a real shame his personality was not quite up to par.  Ranko knew that she had one chance at finding the right man to be her husband.  If she was going to go through so much to be the perfect wife it was only fitting that she find the perfect man. Ranko put her address book back in her purse.  It was only prudent that she practice cataloging her candidates.

            It was much the same reason that she had flirted ever so slightly with that slightly older boy. "Oh dear," Ranko said when she noticed the time on her watch.  She had been in the bathroom several minutes longer than she had expected.

            She calmly walked back to the kitchen. It would not do to panic.  The meal was most likely fine, and if things needed tending Nodoka was there to help.  It was also inappropriate for her to panic in such a way. In addition to teaching Ranko about makeup, hair care, cooking, penmanship, and fashion, the older woman had given lessons on deportment, manners, sewing, cleaning,  and running a household budged.  At Ranko's insistence, the last four days had been solely lessons in training Ranko to become a lady.

            Ranko found her meal in fine condition and was glad that she had entered the room with some poise and dignity. Ranko put on her apron and completed the cooking.  The time spent gave her the opportunity to think over the two things that she was planning on asking her mentor.

* * *

            "Ranko this meal is fabulous," Nodoka congratulated from her position across the table from Ranko.  Naturally, the redhead had properly set the utensils and plates for the meal and had served the food with care.

            "Thank you," Ranko said after pausing to swallow.

            "I think you really have some skill.  You went above and beyond with this.  You even added to the recipes,"  Nodoka observed.

            "It was nothing," Ranko replied with a blush. The two women continued eating for a couple minutes. Ranko finally decided to ask her first question. "Auntie,  would I be eligible for the joining of houses?  I am a Tendo after all?"

            Nodoka put down her fork and looked at Ranko. "I thought Ranma was engaged to your cousin Akane."

            "He is," Ranko admitted.  "It's just that they don't seem to like each other."

            "Really?  What do you know about my son?" Nodoka asked interested in more information on her son.

            "I haven't seen him much. You know how often he goes on training with your husband. But I do know that he's a good-looking, strong, and very honorable," the redhead stated with a look of fond remembrance on her face.

            Nodoka smiled at this.  It showed promise for her son that Ranko thought favorably of him.  "I don't know about the engagement dear.  That's between your uncle and my husband," the older woman said gently.

            Ranko nodded her face slightly downcast. She then resumed eating her meal.

            "What's wrong?  Is there something between you and Ranma?" Nodoka asked.

            "I wish," Ranko said, giggling slightly.  "He is a very handsome man. No it's something else. It has to do with me going back the day after tomorrow," the redhead said this with her head down.

            "Oh," Nodoka said. A part of her dreaded the prospect of Ranko's return.  It had been so nice to have someone to spend time with, someone to mother. "You're not looking forward to going back to your cousins."

            "They're nice people.  They let me stay with them after what happened with my parents," the redhead said her last words with sadness in her voice.

            The older woman nodded.  She had only gotten pieces from Ranko and the other Tendos but it seemed that something very unfortunate had taken place with the girl's parents and it had forced her to move out of the country and into Nerima.  The Tendo family on the whole seemed quite reluctant to discuss it.

            "It's just that they don't seem to have much time for me," the redhead continued.  "Akane's having one crisis after another.  Nabiki's with her schemes.  Kasumi tries to spend time with me but she's so busy taking care of everyone else."

            "And your uncle?" Nodoka asked while trying to gauge the girl's loneliness.

            "He's a good man, but he's got enough trouble handling his own children.  I'm just an extra.  Someone they pretend is not there all that much."

            "Oh," the older woman said.

            "These last few days have just been so nice, and I know that when I get back..." Ranko rambled off.

            Nodoka nodded in understanding.  She had an idea what Ranko was driving at.  It seemed that it had been a while since Ranko had a mother, something that she had deeply missed.  Her enthusiasm to her makeover and training was evidence of that.  Nodoka herself had also missed being a mother. It was then that she decided to make her offer.  "Maybe you could stay with me."

            "Really!  I'd love to!" Ranko said, her eyes twinkling.

            "We should first ask the Tendo's if it's okay," Nodoka cautioned.

            "Don't worry.  I can handle it," Ranko assured Nodoka. The two women then resumed their eating and the topic of conversation drifted to more mundane topics, such as clothing, makeup, and when Ranko would be ready to start dating.  Eventually they finished the meal.  After Ranko cleaned up, she made a phone call.

* * *

            Kasumi looked at the house in Juuban.  It seemed to be a nice enough place. She knocked on the door.  It was answered by a young woman in a fetching dress.  A "V" neck with full-length, lacy cuffed sleeves, it was dark blue with black trim and went to the woman's mid-thigh.

            It showed off her body very nicely while still being quite tasteful.  Her hairless and unblemished legs went from the hem of the woman's skirt to a pair of three-inch blue high heels.  She also had long blue manicured fingernails, a very cute heart-shaped watch, dangling earrings of some type of dazzling reddish-orange gem, and a  short gold chain necklace with a small bird of some kind within a clear sphere.

            More importantly to Kasumi was the other woman's hair and face.  Her hair was a bright red, but it was of a wavy and very feminine style that went to her shoulder-blades in a loose, but carefully cared for, tumble.  Her face was of a familiar shape, but it was accented with a very effective, stylish, and complete makeup job. Her eyes were a recognizable color, but the cosmetics that surrounded them cast them in a different light.

            "Oh my," Kasumi commented as she gazed upon the redhead.  "Ranko," the elder Tendo started, using Ranma's alias to prevent her from getting in trouble. "This is amazing."

            "I know,"  Ranko beamed.  "I have aunt Nodoka to thank for this and Kikuko, my stylist. Please come in," the redhead invited.

            "Stylist?" Kasumi wondered to herself as she walked through the door. From the look of the other girl's hair it was rather clear that she had it styled.  As Kasumi passed her, she smelled the perfume that the redhead was wearing.  It was a pleasant scent that was put on sparingly as to not overwhelm others.

            "I'm so happy that you could come," Ranko said after she closed the door.

            "So Mrs. Saotome  had a hand in this... change?" Kasumi asked, while keeping her tone polite.

            "Oh yes,  she was the one that convinced me to get a makeover and start training in being a woman," Ranko said as she lead Kasumi to the kitchen.

            As Kasumi followed her, she noticed that the other girl's gait and body language were quite female.  Kasumi then started to smell the scent of freshly baked cookies and other confections.

            Skillfully placed on a large platter in the middle kitchen table were several different types of cookies, brownies, and fudges.  "I wanted some variety, so modified the recipes slightly and made only a dozen or so of each,"  Ranko said as she pulled out a chair for Kasumi.  "I put some more in that box.  You can take it when you leave," the redhead said indicating a large pink box tied shut with several white ribbons. They were knotted into big bows and had their ends spiraled.  

            Kasumi smiled when she looked at the various desserts.  Clearly freshly made they were constructed with considerable skill.  Her curiosity as to what had happened to Ranma grew.

            "Ahh, wonderful!  The tea's done,"  Ranko said as she went to the stove and pulled off the kettle.  The girl then turned back to Kasumi, her heels clicking on the tile. "I hope it's how you like it," Ranko said as she poured the tea into Kasumi's waiting cup.

            "It's very good," Kasumi complimented after taking a sip.  She then tried a piece of the white fudge that was on the platter.

            Ranko smiled and pulled out the chair opposite Kasumi.  As she sat down, she smoothed her dress so that it would not bunch up.  After pulling her chair forward Ranko then crossed her legs at the ankle while keeping her knees touching each other.

            She then poured herself a cup of tea, and selected a small piece of caramel brownie.  Delicately holding it in her manicured hand, the girl placed the brownie in her mouth without smudging her lipstick.  Ranko then smiled as she slowly chewed the morsel. 

           Kasumi blinked at this.  Ranma acting as a girl for her mother was one thing, although in this case it was a bit extreme, but eating politely and having proper manners was another. "So auntie Nodoka has been training you on how to be a lady?"  Kasumi asked.

            Ranko gave a conspiratorial grin and took a sip of her tea. "She did convince me that I had a woman's body, and I thought it would only be proper to learn how to live with it."

            "I  see," Kasumi said as she sampled another treat.  The girl's training was at least paying off in her cooking skills. "So you're enjoying your time here?"

            "So very much!" Ranko gushed. She then sampled a piece of walnut fudge.  When she finished eating it, her tone then became more serious. "In fact that is one reason why I asked you here."

            "Really?"

            "For at least a few months I would like to stay with Nodoka."

            "Why?"

            "It's been so long since I've had a mother, and I'd like to enjoy it. Something of a break.  I know that if I go back to Nerima it'll be very chaotic, and that's not something I want to deal with especially if auntie Nodoka comes."

            Kasumi nodded.  Given how extensive Ranma was doing the Ranko-act having Nodoka with her would cause severe complications.  "What should I tell them?  They know you're here, and they will come, looking for Ranma."

            "I know," Ranko sighed as she strummed her nails on the table. "They always want Ranma, but Ranma's not here is he?"  Ranko smiled.  "Just tell them that he was never here.  The last I saw of him, he was getting ready for a training trip."

            Kasumi nodded. It was a fine line, but technically she was not lying too much.  She could tell her family that Ranma Saotome was not here.  As she looked at the redhead nibble on a cookie she wondered about her, but Kasumi would respect Ranma's or was it Ranko's, choice.

* * *

            "So Ranma wasn't there?" Nabiki asked as she ate one of the cookies that Kasumi had bought. They were both in the kitchen of the Tendo residence.

            "Didn't see him," Kasumi replied as she washed her hands.

            "I thought he was going to play Ranko with his mother?" the middle child inquired.

            "That's over with."

            "So he went out with his mother, hid with her for a few days, and then left when he knew no one was on his trail, very clever," Nabiki surmised.  "Nodoka have any clue where 'Ranko' went?"

            "None."

            "I can think of only one thing he'd want."

            "To find a cure?" Kasumi asked.

            "That'd be my guess," Nabiki mumbled, as she left the room.  She was thinking of what value this information had, and how to market it.  She knew where Ranma was not and where he might be headed.

            Kasumi smiled slightly as she started making dinner.  It was amazing the level of trust people had in her. Given her honest nature, it was only natural.  Now Ranma would have some time of peace.  After all the most trustworthy person in Nerima had testified that Ranma was no longer with his mother.

            Nabiki would then spread this information, along with her reasonable, logical, but incorrect theory as to where Ranma was headed. Kasumi did have to admire Ranko,  very clever, indeed. The one risky part was the box of sweets, but Nabiki for all her skills had dismissed it. She took one look at the contents of the white box and its decorative ribbons and assumed that Kasumi had stopped at a bakery on her way back.

* * *

            A redheaded girl woke to the shrill sound of an alarm. She groaned as the pulled herself upright and turned off the buzzing. The teenager tried to gather her thoughts, but they were confused.  Her mind switched between being comfortable and disgusted by the skimpy forest green negligee she was wearing.  She remembered finally convincing her aunt, maybe it was her mother, to let her buy the thing.

            She shook her head trying to clear the cobwebs but her memory remained mushy at best.  The girl was plagued by conflicting ideas. For some reason, she half expected to be attacked by if she did not get up in time.  She did know one thing something important was going on today.

            Still half asleep, the girl got out of bed, blearily put on a robe, and left her room and headed for the bathroom.  Somehow, she felt that a shower would be just the thing she needed to wake up.  Entering the bathroom she was simultaneously confused and reassured by the wide variety of hygiene and beauty aids.

            She disrobed and entered the shower. She activated the flow and was hit by a wave of cold then hot water.  As she stood under the warm spray she felt a weird sense of wrongness.  The girl dismissed this as she grabbed a shampoo bottle.  Opening it, she was rewarded with the scent of lilacs, and her mind cleared a bit.

            As she applied the shampoo to her hair, things became more solid do her.  Her name was Ranko Tendo, and she was living with Nodoka Saotome.  The important thing happening today was her first day of school at Juuban High.

            Now that she was awake and knew her place, Ranko finished her shower.  She then got ready for the day.  By now, her daily preparations of skincare, hair, clothing, makeup, and jewelry were automatic.

            Despite this it took a little bit longer to get ready today. This was her first serious wearing of her uniform.  She had tried on the seifuku and gotten one in her size yesterday, but this was the first time she had to decide on what makeup, and shoes matched best with the pleated blue skirt and the white blouse with its red-trimmed blue cuffs, blue bow on the front, and large blue with red trim sailor-style collar.

            The girl went with her blue Mary Jane's and modified her cosmetics lineup to better compliment her clothing.  As she loaded her dark blue purse with necessary supplies, she smiled at her reflection. Her little pink book was still very, very empty, but she was sure that there would be plenty of opportunity to add entries today.

* * *

            Nodoka had a contented look on her face as she watched Ranko leave the house  for school.  She was most relived that the administration at Juuban was understanding as to what had happened to Ranko's records. Furinkan was known for sloppy paperwork and there was more than one case of them simply loosing a student's permanent records. The high school in Juuban had similar problems with their own records.

            Ranko had to take a placement test too, but she did adequately enough on that.  She would have to keep her grades up and have tutoring.  That Ranko had also been looking at student organizations and had impressed the head of the cooking club, who was the vice-principal had to have helped as well. There was another factor that had helped make sure that Ranko had gotten in, but Nodoka had no idea about that one.

* * *

            "I'm sorry, but I really must be going," the other man's drinking companion stated as he put on his coat. He then walked to the front door of the largish hotel suite that he had been staying in.

            "But I've just finished setting things up.  We need only wait until tonight to make sure that it will work."

            "Calm down Loki, this worrying does not suit you."

            "Sorry Murdock, I just want this to hurt that green-haired bitch perfectly," the chaotic deity explained.

            "And I'm sure you will, but I have my own work to attend to," the runic mage sighed. When it came down to it, servants of chaos could be just as perfectionistic and obsessive as the agents of order. Loki had more than enough power to crush the Time Guardian, but he insisted on getting his revenge in an obtuse and poetic way. Murdock however did not care, as what he got out of the deal would be most helpful to his own missions.

            "You're going to miss a hell of a show."

            "Sorry, but I've already got one," Murdock said as he opened the door and stepped through it.

* * *

            "So you must be the new girl?" Usagi asked the wavy-haired redhead.  She evaluated the girl.  It seemed that every time there was a new student they ended up as either a new Senshi or an enemy in disguise.  As all the planets had been accounted for, Usagi was somewhat worried.

            "Yes, I'm Ranko Tendo," the girl said with a smile.  "Would you like a treat?" she asked as she opened a pink box.

            Usagi's eyes brightened at what was inside. She then pulled out a couple cookies.

            Ranko smiled again.  Desserts were a very good icebreaker.  It was only lunchtime of her first day and she had already meet several girls, notably members of the fashion and cooking clubs and had added more than a few boys to her little pink book. 

            "These are great! You bake them yourself?" Usagi asked.

            "Yeah, I'm just starting though," Ranko admitted before offering more of her confections to the other girl.  There was something about this blonde that made her likable.

            "Don't be so modest. You're really good. I can't cook anything."            

             Ranko blushed at this.

            Sailor Pluto remotely observed this conversation and sighed.   Despite her efforts  the universe will try and reassert its original path.  Although, this time instead of Ranma Saotome meeting the Princess it was Ranko Tendo.

* * *

            Ranko hummed happily as she checked herself over one last time.  Her hair, makeup, and nails were impeccably done, and she was wearing a light yellow miniskirt, a matching white scoop-necked top with yellow floral print, yellow, one inch, high-heeled sandals, and a little yellow purse.  The redhead had put in her jewelry as a final touch.  Despite being a casual affair, today was still special.

            Auntie Nodoka had finally allowed her to start dating. Immediately after this decision, Ranko started working on the person in her book who was the most likely of her favorite candidates to ask her out.  It took only a couple sessions of flirting to get the exchange student Eric Discorso to ask her out.

            Good looking, tall, and strong he was also very witty and funny.  He had to be intelligent to be bilingual and get as good of grades that he did, but he was neither geeky or arrogant.  No, Ranko thought as she posed a few times in front of her mirror,  to make sure that her clothing properly displayed her body. I could do a lot worse than him. He might not be the one but he'll more than do for a start. Ranko thought as she blew a kiss at her reflection and giggled.  

            Ranko then looked at her watch.  Eric should be arriving any moment.  The redhead sat on her bed and tried to wait, but it was rather hard for her.  It got even harder when she heard someone knock on the front door.  She wanted to go down right away, but she knew it was better to have him wait a little bit.

* * *

            Loki smiled as he waited for someone to answer his polite knocking on the front door.  Integrating himself was rather easy.  He had originally planned to simply pop into Ranko's dream as a mysterious god-like figure and give her the package he had developed with Murdock's help.

            However when he was observing the contents of the redhead's dreams, he came up with a better idea. Granted this one required him to alter his form slightly.  There was more than a hint of irony at his cover.  Eris was the name of the Greek goddess of strife and chaos. Discordia was the Roman name for the same goddess.

            For a Norse god who delighted in spreading disorder and mayhem to use such a name for his cover amused him greatly. He was still grinning when the door he was standing before opened. 

            "You must be Eric Discorso," Nodoka stated at the boy in front of her.  He looked like a decent enough person.  He was tall with forest green eyes and short blond hair. He was wearing a simple leather jacket over a nice button-down shirt and a pair of good slacks

            "Yes ma'm, may I come in?" the boy asked bowing his head.  Nodoka got the distinct impression that if a man had answered the door instead of her the teen would have saluted.

            "Please, Ranko should be down in a minute," Nodoka stated.  Before allowing Ranko to go on this date she had called the family that was hosting Eric and asked a few questions. The boy had checked out. She then lead him to the living room where she would directly interview him during small talk.

            Loki cheerfully conversed with the older woman.  He understood her reasons for being protective of her surrogate daughter, and was more than willing to play the part of a respectable boy.

            "Ranko you should come down now," Nodoka shouted to the upper floor after walking to the bottom of the stairs. She had determined that Eric was acceptable enough.

            Loki was standing next to the Saotome woman when he saw Ranko appear and walk down the stairs. His outward expression was that of a respectable young man who was appreciative of his date's beauty.  Inside, his anger at a certain time Guardian grew. He would definitely show her the problems a girl with aspirations of being a housewife can do.

            "Hello, Eric," Ranko beamed as she walked down the stairs.  Most of her concentration was on the perfect walk.  She wanted to make an excellent impression on him.

            Loki smiled at his date.  She filled out her top and skirt very nicely, and walked to show it off.  He inhaled deeply and offered to take her out.

            Nodoka smiled as she watched the two teens walk off. The redhead was practically walking on air, and her companion seemed to be happy as well. Again, the woman was struck by the amazing progress that her charge had made.  

* * *

            The entity that was known to some as Eric Discorso held hands with a beautiful redhead. "I never realized there were so many ways to bake a cupcake," he replied trying to sound interested. He had just finished a lunch and a movie with her and was walking through a park with her.  The lunch was at a rather nice Sushi Bar that he sometimes frequented.  Their conversation was about both of their pasts.  

            He was more than willing to recite the details of his cover story. However when it came time for Ranko to talk about herself, his brain felt like it was going to gnaw its way out to escape from the girlish prattling.

            Ranko seemed to only be interested in five things: fashion, hair care, makeup, cooking, and boys. At least the girl was tactful enough to not talk about the last on their date.  The girl did not have much else to talk about.  Her past was questionable at best and her personality seemed to be only skin deep.  Loki knew that both of these were true.

            The movie was nice.  There was no talking during it.  Although Ranko had selected a scary movie specifically so that she could clutch onto him whenever something creepy happened.  Loki almost enjoyed having a pretty girl leaning on him, if not for the fact that he knew the girl's true origins.

            "I'm having a really good time, Eric" Ranko said as one of her manicured hands gripped Eric's a bit tighter.

            "Me too," Loki stated warmly as he turned to the girl.  He looked around their surrounding. They were alone.  Whatever happened now no one else would see.  "I have something for you," he then said to the girl.

            "Really?" Ranko asked as her eyes brightened. Eric had done rather well so far and if this gift was good he would earn some big points.

            "Yes. When we first met, I saw your pendant and I knew what I had to get," Eric said as he pulled a long thin grey box out from within his coat. He then handed it to the girl.

            Ranko held the box in her hands. The dimensions suggested a piece of jewelry most likely a watch, necklace, or bracelet.  She was leaning to the last one.  She already had one of the first two.  "Oh you shouldn't have," Ranko gushed as she opened the box.

            Her smile turned to puzzlement when she got a look at the contents.  It was a black cylinder with golden flames etched on the upper part of the shaft.  The flames transitioned to a golden knob that almost seemed to be wreathed in flames. "What is it?" Ranko asked.  It was nice but she had no idea what it was.

            Her date's smile became something vaguely unpleasant.  "Just hold it and say whatever comes to mind."

            The girl shrugged and picked up the rod.  It was very cool to the touch.  She then made a slight cry when it shocked her hand.  Her puzzlement grew when the rod turned warm. Realization dawned on her when a series of words came into her mind. Acting on impulse she trust the rod into the air while shouting "Phoenix Rebirth Power! Make UP!"

            Spirals of flames sprung out of her body and burned off her clothing.  The fire then solidified forming clothing, makeup, jewelry, boots, and other accessories.  She found herself dressed in a stylized seifuku with a white bodysuit, a miniskirt that had its pleats patterned to resemble flames, orange and red boots that also are similar to flames, elbow-length white gloves with orange trim and a pair of big green bows.  One was over her chest and the other was just above the back of her skirt.  

            Her hair had stayed the same style only now it was highlighted in orange and yellow.  Her makeup had intensified and changed to reflect her new color scheme.  She had a golden tiara with large fire opal set in the center.  Her earrings were now heart-shaped hanging fire opals. She had a white choker encircling her neck.  Rather narrow, it was white with the golden phoenix that was in her pendant in the center.

            "Oh my," the redhead said as she looked at what she was dressed in.

            "In this form you are Sailor Phoenix," Loki said as he summoned a large mirror so that the girl could look at her reflection.

            "Oh cool! I'm a magical girl!"  the girl laughed as she looked at her reflection.  The whole costume was rather neat. She then turned to her date.  "But why me?  I'm just a girl."

            "You're very special Ranko.  Only certain people can be Sailor Senshi."

            "I'll have to have to fight won't I?" Sailor Phoenix asked sourly.

            Loki smiled at the image of a pouting magical girl.  "I'm afraid so," he stated.

            "Well, if I have to fight I might as well do it in something prettier,"  Phoenix noted as she appraised her uniform.  "How do I make alterations? I can see some improvements."

            Loki blinked.  He was amazed at the mind job that had been done on her.  The man then shrugged. She wanted to change her uniform.  Might as well let her. He unlocked the costume properties and transferred the alteration access. "Just think about the changes you want."

            Phoenix concentrated and her uniform changed.  She changed  her gloves and bodysuit to an intricately laced and dazzlingly white material.  Fire opal sparkles appeared on her boots, skirt and collar, making the garments glitter.  She then added two eight inch long, green flowing ribbons to the top of each of her boots.  Two pairs of identical  ribbons were also placed on the tops of her gloves.  Finally she had an immense heart-shaped fire opal hair ornament in the back of her head.  Four long spiraled green ribbons then spilled from the back of the gem.

            "There, now that's a pretty uniform," Sailor Phoenix said as she posed in front of the mirror.

            Loki sighed quietly.  He got the impression that she did that a lot. "You should transform back.  I can only avert other's attention for so long," Loki lied.  He could prevent people from noticing them for an indefinite time period, but it was a convenient way to get her to transform out of senshi form. "To revert back just think of  containing the power and shifting out of it," he then added.  
            "Oh, okay," Sailor Phoenix said as she powered down.

            Loki nodded as the redhead returned to her yellow skirt and white floral blouse.  He then banished the mirror and deactivated the cloaking field that had prevented people from watching them. 

            Ranko then watched, wide eyed, as her henshin stick disappeared.  She then delighted in recalling it and making it disappear again. "Wow,  so you're like one of those guys that activates magical girls?"  Ranko then asked to her date.

            "Yes," Loki responded simply. 

            "I guess I'll have to learn how to fight," Ranko noted as she clasped her hand over her date's.

            "Yes but you won't be alone.  There are others that you can fight with and I can help train you," Loki reassured.

            "You're not going to fight?" Ranko asked.

            "I can't.  My powers only allow me to recruit, train, and advise," Loki falsified as he started leading her back home.  He knew that Nodoka would be expecting him to bring back her niece.

            "You're not much of a cute animal sidekick," Ranko joked.

            "Not exactly," Loki laughed in return.

            Ranko then shifted the conversation back to her baking activities.

            Loki sighed inwardly.  He then proceeded to continue making small talk with the chattering redhead.  Eventually, they made it back to the girl's place.

            "This has been an amazing day," Ranko smiled as she stood at the front stoop of her house.

            "It was real nice," Loki stated, managing a sly grin.

            Ranko leaned forward and upward and kissed Loki on the cheek.  "Call me when you get home," she said after she pulled back.

            "Sure thing."

            "I'd like that," Ranko blushed.  She then opened the front door and went inside.

            As Loki walked away from the house, he started to hum.  Ranko had met with Kasumi on the fifth day after that infamous makeover, the redhead's first day of school was two days after that, and he went out with her four days after that day.  That gave a total of eleven days of Ranko Tendo.

            There was still over forty days left before the event happened. His timetable was flexible enough that he could ease Ranko into her new powers.

* * *

            Sailor Phoenix was alone in the same park she had been activated in.  Towards the end of her phone call with Eric he had suggested that she go there before going to bed.  There he would show her how to use some of her powers. For some reason Eric was late.  Eventually, boredom overcame her and the rookie Senshi started fiddling with her powers.

            "This is hard!" Phoenix moaned as she tried to activate one of her attacks. Called "Phoenix Firestorm," the startup to the move involved shouting the name while posing with her arms.  "Why can't I shoot it?" she cried. The redheaded magical girl could feel the power forming in her hands but it was not leaving them.

            The practicing continued until something happened.  Ranko's movements became more fluid and precise culminating in a stream of marble-sized fireballs shooting from her outstretched hands.

            "Whoa, cool,"  Phoenix said as she looked at her gloved hands.  An errant thought then entered the girl's head. She then ran forward, ducked to the side, twisted in mid-air and shouted ""Phoenix Firestorm!"  The vast majority of the little fireballs hit the tree she had aimed at.

            "I guess all that training did pay off," the red head congratulated to herself.

            "Wait... training?  I never trained.  Sure there was some when I was a little girl, but I stopped.  Wasn't proper," the girl mumbled to herself. Something was off she remembered training in martial arts, but she remembered more than her memory told her was correct.

            "That's more of Ranma's thing. As long as I've known him, he's been obsessed with martial arts.  Hmmm, there's something about that time we first met though. He was- what?" the girl pondered as she tugged at her heart-shaped. hair ornament.

           Realization hit the warrior of love and justice with such a force that her body spasmed and she toppled to the ground.  Sitting on the park's well-tended grass, the girl then looked over her uniform.  She cataloged the glitter, makeup, jewelry, lace, ribbons, high heels, ribbons, bows, and the miniskirt. Her horror grew when she realized that she had willingly, intentionally, and gleefully modified this thing to make it even more nauseating and cute.

            "My god.  What's happening to me?" the girl croaked out. The queer doubling she was  experiencing was much worse than any she had faced before taking her morning shower.  It felt like her memories had been shattered like a thin layer of ice over a pond.  And now those broken chunks of solid were floating on an immense pond of past experiences.

            "I'm Ranma," the girl said finally acknowledging her past.  Memories of the last week and a half then hit her. "Oh, god.  What have I done?  No. What have they done to me?"

End Chapter 1

End Fic notes: Well cliffhanger.  Hmm

Naturally inspiration for this fic comes from several sources. "Nodoka's Daughter" by James Lee, "Honor and Love," by Kevin D. Hammel, "Clothes Make The.. by Night Efl, "Girl Days" by Kenko "Can't Win" by Bryan Neef and several other fics where Ranma gets into her feminine side. Though in most of those cases it was mostly voluntary.  It's a common theme, but so is Ranma as a Sailor Senshi. 

Prereaders: Wray, Starfire, and some Joe Fenton.

And now back to The Return.


	2. Chapter 2  Continuations and Changes

Ranko's Makeover

Yet Another Ranma Sailor Moon fic thingy.

By Josh Temple

Naturally, I own neither Sailor Moon nor Ranma. So here's the disclaimer

Ranma 1/2 and its characters and settings belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan, Kitty, and Viz Video. Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi, Koudansha, TV Asahi, and Toei Douga, and DIC.

Other works can be found at my website.

Warning: If you have any dislike for the concept of Ranma as a Sailor Senshi or of Ranma pretending to be Ranko, please STOP reading. The rest of you still reading, enjoy this little project of mine, one that still will not leave my mind.

Well, here's another chapter of this. I must say that the main reason this came out this fast was due to reader response.

Chapter 2 - Continuations and Changes 

            Loki looked at his watch and cursed a few times. In the guise of Eric Discorso, he wanted to give the impression that he was late.

            A distance away, Sailor Phoenix was still thinking of the events of the last couple weeks and the garment she was in. "I'm going to get the people that did this to me," the magical girl swore as orange and red flames burst fourth from her form.

           Loki smiled when he saw the girl burning with hatred. Contrary to popular belief, he was not the Norse god of chaos. Disorder and mayhem were simply favorite hobbies of his. No, he was a god of fire. He waited for the inferno to die out before approaching her.

            "Sorry that I'm late," Loki then said to the irate girl.

            "You!" Phoenix declared. "You're the one who put me in this getup. And you're the one who asked me out on a date!"   

            "Hey, you were hitting on me," Loki pointed out. "You practically begged me to go on a date with you, and you seemed perfectly happy with that seifuku. Hell, you modified it. What happened to that girl I was with earlier today?"

            "She's gone, and you're going to tell me everything you know." the redhead stated.

            "Okay," Loki said cheerfully. "That is my job."

            "Right, magical advisor. At least you're not a damn cat," she stated, saying the last word as if it were an expletive. "I'm going to get out of this damn thing, and you'd better not try anything. I can still kick your ass."

            Sailor Phoenix swore to herself again. At least Ukyou or Akane were not around to see her in this getup. The redhead had no idea how she would live that one down.

            Loki nodded.

            Sailor Phoenix's form shifted and she turned back into a femininely dressed redhead. "I can't believe that this stuff keeps happening to me! That Kikuko lady is so dead!" the girl snarled as she made a fist with one of her manicured hands.

            "The stylist did not work alone. She was used," Loki offered.

            "Then I guess I'll just have to go and make her talk," Ranma stated as she turned to glare at the Norseman.

            "She was manipulated as well," Loki pointed out.

            "By whom?" Ranma asked after a slight pause. She felt... strange. The sensation reminded her of that old American movie with the time traveling robots. She could almost feel the shattered pieces of her mind melt, move toward one another, and reform into a single mass. 

            "NO! Not again!" she shouted with realization. "But, I just got back!" she cried in a softer voice. She then blinked and looked at Eric. The redhead then laughed nervously. "I apologize for that outburst," she then said with slightly downcast eyes.

            What the hell happened? Loki thought as he looked over the girl. "Ranko?" he asked experimentally

            "Yes," the redhead responded. "I'm sorry. It's just that I remembered something... unpleasant," Ranko stated. _No wonder I had blocked out my past. I was once a boy,_ the redhead thought. The idea of being a male filled her with revulsion, and a bit of longing. That she had the latter thought made her feel quite uncomfortable.

            Loki nodded in understanding. "I was hoping this might happen. Senshi often remember their past lives. Normally, it doesn't happen this quick." He had indeed hoped that Ranma would recover her memories but he had also hoped that she would not revert back to being Ranko. Well, half is better than nothing, Loki thought.

            "Past lives?" Ranko asked. She liked the sound of that. Yes, she was Ranma, but that was a different life, a previous one. She was now Ranko.

            "Do you feel any different?" Loki asked. There was still a chance that this was only a temporary thing, and that it would go away once she stopped using the shampoo. She had been using it for only a week and a half. The permanent effects to it should have been fairly minor.

            Ranko pulled out her compact and looked at herself. Part of her wanted to wash off her makeup, pull out her earrings, let the piercings heal, change her hairstyle to something simpler, and use nail polish remover on her nails. For now, she resisted these tomboyish urges. She could feel other, more important, changes.

            "My only goal isn't to be a wife and mother. It's still very important to me, but it's not everything, not anymore." Ranko observed while tugging on one of her earrings. "I'm a martial artist, a warrior" she then said with some disbelief in her voice. She disliked what that meant, but she could not deny it.

            Loki nodded, and gave an inward sigh of relief. It was a start. Once the shampoo was purged from the girl's system Ranma should be back.

            "But the most important thing.. beyond getting married, beyond the Art, is protecting the Princess." Ranko said as if she were remembering some very old, yet very important event.

            Loki almost punched his fist into his forehead. Damn Murdock. It seemed that the Senshi design that the runic mage had helped him make was a little too detailed. Loki hoped that her loyally to the princess was out of respect and love and not compulsory.

            "Women can be warriors. Ranma... I- knew several, and that's what the Senshi are. We use our powers to fight for love and justice and we defend ourselves from those who wish to destroy those ideals," the redhead said in an almost amazed voice.

            "Exactly."

            "So, who was behind my change?" Ranko asked in an interested voice. She then sat down on a nearby park bench. She motioned for Loki to sit down. Loki complied but sat as far away as he could from her. There was something in the girl's eyes that was different. They were not quite as clouded in a feminine haze as earlier today.

            "The Princess is not alone. She has several Senshi, yourself included, that are charged with assisting and protecting her. One of them also maintains an artifact that allows for time travel. This time guardian has taken it upon herself to ensure that the future that was prophesized will happen.

            "As a part of this mission she has gone after people she has deemed to be a risk. Most of them are not killed. Instead they are modified. The traits that would make them an obstacle to her ideal future are removed. That's why she arranged to have you changed from Ranma Saotome to Ranko Tendo."

            "I see," Ranko said in an odd voice. Loki could not tell whether she wanted to hunt this woman down and torture her in the most creatively painful way, thank her for "freeing her mind" from being a boy, or do both at the same time.

            "And which Senshi do I owe this favor to, so I can properly thank her?" Ranko asked, evilly.

            "Sailor Pluto, also known as Meiou Setsuna," Loki said before describing the woman's physical attributes.

            "How could I have been a problem for her timeline if I'm also a Senshi?"

            "That's irrelevant. You would have been a Senshi regardless," Loki lied. "However, if you had remained Ranma, you would have done something that would have been unacceptable to Pluto."

            Ranko shuddered at that. She did not want to consider doing something that only a guy could do. "I'm going to have to talk to the Princess about this."

            "You've already met her, and she'd love to have you as a new teammate," Loki interjected.

            "Usagi?"

            Loki nodded.

            "I thought there was something about that girl," the redhead smiled. "I guess I should talk to Mom too. That could be a problem," the girl remarked. She remembered the "man among men" agreement her father had made her sign, but she would have to tell her mother the truth eventually.

            "What about your stylist and Sailor Pluto?" Loki asked.

            "I'm not sure. I'll have to think about what to do with them," Ranko sighed. 

            "I hope I was of help to you," Loki offered.

            "Of course you were, Eric," Ranko smiled. She then looked at her watch. Shortly after she had received it, Ranko had learned that the pink numbers on the watch face and the heart-tipped hands glowed in the dark. "I should get going. Care to walk me back?" she then asked offering her hand.

            Loki blinked. He then shrugged and took the girl's hand. At least now the girl was not quite as much of a prattling ditz.

***************

            Ranko looked at the front door to the house she shared with her mother. Eric had separated from her just before they came in sight of the building. If Nodoka caught her trying to sneak back in, she did not want to try and explain why there was a boy with her.

             As she walked the remaining distance, she listened to the clicking her heels made on the sidewalk. She sighed with relief when she unlocked the front door and found the house empty. Her mother was still asleep.

            She closed the door and engaged the lock. Ranko silently made her way up the stairs and into her room. There she changed into a set of pajamas and crawled into bed. She quickly fell asleep and dreamed of making new friends

***************

            Ranko was sitting at one of the outside tables of a coffee shop when she recognized a particular boy walking down the sidewalk after he caught her eye. She left some money to pay her bill and got up to follow him.

            As she shadowed the teen, she took an inventory of the items she had brought with her to her mother's house. She smiled when she realized what she could do. The redhead quickly closed in on her target. She would have preferred to take one look at her face to make sure her makeup was perfect, but she knew that this boy had a habit of getting away from you when you turned your back on him.

            "Ryoga, right?" Ranko asked in her cutest voice.

            The directionally challenged teen turned around. He saw a wavy-haired redhead who was dressed in a tight little floral print dress. "Yeah, that's me. Why?" he asked with a nervous tinge on his voice.

            "A boy I know was talking about you. He described your bandana and stuff pretty well," Ranko smiled. Back when she was Ranma, she had fooled him into thinking she was his fiance, his sister, and a maid for the Hibiki family. A forth time should be easy enough.

            "Really," Ryoga observed with interest. "Was he about my height with a slighter build and black hair in a braided pigtail and acts like a total jerk? Goes by the name Ranma." 

            "Yeah, that's him," Ranko answered.

            "Hah! I knew I'd run into him eventually," Ryoga declared. "Would it be a problem for you to please take me to him? I've got some business to settle with him."

            "Oh, no trouble at all," Ranko said as she took his arm. She then led the nervous boy back to her house. Her mother was out visiting with her friends and they should have the house to themselves.

***************

            "So, where is Ranma?" Ryoga asked with a puzzled look on his face. They were in the girl's kitchen. He was sitting at the table and she was working at the stove.

            "Oh, he'll be right here," Ranko said after tasting the soup she was preparing. It was perfect. "I was just making some lunch before he came by," the girl said as she ladled the meal into two bowls.

            "I see," Ryoga said as he ate some of the candies that the redhead had offered him. At first they tasted a bit funny, but they were growing on him.

            Ranko turned around. She then smiled when she caught the teen eyeing her body. Yes, this should be a lot of fun. "Your soup," the girl beamed.

            "Thanks," Ryoga said, slurring the word slightly. He then began to spoon the soup into his mouth. It was not until he had had a few spoonfuls, that he noticed that his hair was starting to grow.

            "What's happening to you?" Ranko asked in a somewhat horrified voice. "Don't move! I'll get something to stop it," she said before darting out of the room. She opened a small packet and mixed it into water. Ranko then came back and dumped the bucket of water on the boy.

            Ryoga's eyes bulged. He did not want to turn into a pig in front of this girl. The water drenched him, but he did not shrink nearly as much as expected. "Wait, I'm still human," Ryoga observed. The teen's eyes widened with another realization. "I'm a girl!" the newly female person cried.

            "So you are," Ranko noted as she poured some shampoo into the neo-girl's lengthened hair.

            "What's going on?" Ryoga asked in a very confused voice. "Ohh, that feels nice," the girl then said enjoying the scalp massage.

            Ranko smiled. She was in. The rest would be easy.

***************

            "Who's this?" Nodoka asked. When she got home she found Ranko and another girl chatting in the living room. Beautiful with a slightly smaller chest than Ranko's, the other girl had shoulder-length vibrant orange hair with white highlights. Her hair was in a feminine yet easy to manage style that hung straight down.

            She was wearing a pair of pink sneakers, a black set of spandex pants under a short orange skirt, and an orange blouse under a stylish and functional black vest. Her fingernails extended a fifth of an inch and were painted orange. Silver stud earrings hung in her pierced lobes. Her makeup was a bit less than Ranko's, but still very girlish.

            "I'm Yoiko Hibiki," the girl said as she got up and bowed to Nodoka.

            "She's one of my friends," Ranko smiled. Well, she is one now, Ranko thought.

            "Ahh, it's always nice to meet friends of Ranko's," Nodoka said before going into the kitchen. Ranko then resumed her conversation with her new friend. The girl's personality was much more acceptable now.

***************

            Loki sighed as he observed the dreams of his Senshi. His attention kept darting back to the power emanating from the girl. This did not look good. He marked the location that it was headed to, and resolved to follow it once the girl was finished dreaming. Ranko's dream of changing one of her old friends had given him an idea.

***************

            Ranko woke up to the sound of her alarm. As she made her way to the shower she reflected on last night's dreams. Unlike the satisfyingly erotic dreams where she was married or the pleasant ones where she had children, these were strange and horrible.

            As the redhead turned on the shower nozzle she reflected on why they were disturbing. All she had done was give Ryoga a makeover just like the one that Kikuko had given her. Yoiko was a much better person than she had been before. She was now a happy, cheerful, and nice person.

            The exact same thing had happened to Ranko, but she felt much better. Ranko loathed the concept of returning to her old life, attitude, and body. So why was it wrong to do the same to Ryoga? 

            Ranko then picked up the shampoo bottle that her stylist had given her. According to her dream, this was what had allowed her to break free of Ranma. As she smelled the lilac scent, justifications formed in her mind. She was like this because her mother was concerned about her happiness. Nodoka knew how much she had hated her body and had resolved to remedy that.

            All my stylist had done was accelerate things, Ranko thought as she put some of her shampoo in her hair. As she massaged the suds onto her scalp she became more and more sure that even without the help of the shampoo she would have accepted the truth; that she really was a girl. 

            Again Ranko wondered if her thinking was correct. After all, Yoiko would not have wanted to go back to being Ryoga, but did that give her the right to replace someone's personality?

            "It's a shame I'm going to have burn her shop down," Ranko sighed in contentment. "Well, maybe just beat her a bit," the redhead smiled as she rinsed out her hair. "After all, it was really Pluto's doing. Now, she'll have to be killed nice and slow. Maybe I can do something inventive with my Phoenix Firestorm," the redhead pondered while she washed her legs.

            "I bet Eric knows where she lives. Ohh! I can use asking him where Pluto lives as an excuse to talk to him. Hopefully he'll ask me on another date. Now, that'll be something. Another date and sweet, sweet revenge," the girl muttered, happily.

            Ranko then finished showering and got dressed. She considered  skipping her hair and makeup but decided that looking good was more important than having more time. Clothing was not an issue. She had to wear her uniform and that was it.

            Once she finished up she looked at her heart-shaped watch. She decided that there was not nearly enough time to bake the item and go talk to her mother. Ranko resolved tell her mother after school.

***************

            "So you want to know where Pluto lives?" Loki asked. They were sitting under a tree outside of the school.

            "Yes, I would like to discuss things with her," Ranko smiled darkly as she delicately ate her lunch.

            "I see." Loki nodded with inward relief. The girl may still be acting like Ranko, but she certainly wanted to hurt Setsuna.

            "Oh, yes. I think she needs the problems with her policies to be explained to her," the redhead uttered.

            Loki laughed and gave the home address where the Time Guardian spent a surprising amount of her time. Loki could imagine Ranma being the one in control, but forced by the housewife shampoo to still act all feminine. Oh yes, that sort of hell would make Ranma most upset.

            "You're so nice," the redheaded schoolgirl then said as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

            "Yes... thanks," Loki stated hesitantly. It was starting to look like Ranma might not be the one at the helm after all. The Norseman glanced at the beautiful girl who was snuggling up next to him This was troubling. If he spurned the girl's advances then he would upset Ranko, but if he encouraged her and Ranma came back he would be attacked by a very irate martial artist.

            "You're humble too," Ranko giggled as she looked at Eric. He was so cute when he got nervous. He was such a nice guy and not a jerk or a pervert.

            "Err, so you hear about that new Cajun place that opened?" Loki asked, desperate for something to change the subject. His mind had blanked out, and it was either that or ask her if she'd ever ridden a giant crawfish.

           "I've heard about the style. It's from the American South, right?" Ranko asked, her eyes glittering. He's going to do it, she thought happily.

            "Yes, it's spicy, but really good. I think you'd like it." Loki said.

            "Oh Eric, I'd love to go," Ranko said as she hugged the shocked teen. She had been planning on waiting a bit longer, but she could not contain herself.

            "Okay then. So when do you want to go?" Loki asked. He decided that pissing off Ranko now would be a bad idea. He just hoped that his not taking advantage of her was enough to prevent Ranma from going after him.

***************

            "Usagi, wait," Ranko cried as she caught up to the blonde.

            "Oh, hi Ranko" Usagi said happily. She could see that the wavy-haired girl was holding a small white box. She hoped that Ranko would offer her some. The redhead was such a good cook.

            "I wanted to give you this," Ranko said, handing over the box.

            Usagi's eyes brightened when she saw the miniature cake inside. The detail was amazing and she knew it would be delicious.

            "Why?" Usagi asked as she looked at the hanging earrings that the redhead wore. They way they reflected the sunlight was amazing. It was almost as if they were on fire.

            "I really like you. You're very sweet, and nice, and fun," the redhead said with a smile. If she had been into girls, Ranko might have tried to make a pass at her, but unfortunately she was not. Real shame, Ranko reflected as she looked at the blonde.

            "Really?"

            "Well, no- there's more," Ranko said, embarrassed. She could not lie to her Princess. "I'm thinking of hosting a slumber party this weekend and was wondering if you could come. You can bring a few friends if you want."

            Usagi looked at the redhead. There was something familiar about her. It was almost as if she were... but no, all the planets were accounted for. "Okay!" Usagi finally said. Undoubtedly Ranko would cook during the sleepover. 

            "Great!" Ranko smiled. "I asked Minako, Makoto, and Ami first and they said they would go if you did." The redhead added a checkmark to her mental "To-do" list. She had one last thing to do today. It was something she wanted to get out of the way. The girl did not want to continue living a lie.

***************

            "Auntie? I have something to tell you," Ranko said as she opened the front door. She really had several things to tell, but her mother's reaction to one of them would take precedence over the others.

            "What is it Dear?" Nodoka asked.

            "I think we should sit down first," Ranko stated.

            Nodoka's face hardened. Her first thought was that Ranko had gotten herself pregnant! Grandkids! Nodoka happily thought before realizing that Ranko would have to marry that Discorso boy then. At least he seemed decent enough to do the right thing.

            Ranko waited until they were both seated at the kitchen table before she spoke again. "I have a confession to make. Soun Tendo is not my uncle, and you are more than a nice woman that is taking care of me," she said clearly making direct eye contact to her mother.

            Nodoka studied the girl across from her. This time she saw something that her mind had refused to accept. The redhead's new hairstyle made it even more obvious. Had they been the same age, the girl sitting across from her could have been her twin. Nodoka had no idea how it was true, but she knew who the girl across from her was.

            "Ranma? No, it can't be. I mean, how?" the woman hesitantly asked to her daughter.

            "Father has done many, many stupid things," Ranko said. She then listed a few of the events: the Neko-Ken, the engagement to Ukyou, being sold for food, money, and other things. Eventually she got to Jusenkyou. 

            "When we were in China father took us to a cursed training ground and I got turned into this," Ranko simply said. "I didn't tell you the truth because I wanted to meet you only after I had been cured. Only after I could prove to you that I was a 'man among men'. " Ranko chuckled at that. She could hardly imagine why she was so attached to that old male self image of hers.

            "Dear god, that's insane," Nodoka said, clearly shocked.

            "That's what happened," Ranko shrugged. "Father got turned into a panda."

            "I see," Nodoka said. She knew that the person across from her was her child, but the cursed spring bit was unbelievable. Could her child had spend years on hormones and gotten implants and other surgery to look like a girl? She had not seen her child for over a decade so it was possible.

            On the other hand, the bit about the panda was compelling. That creature's behavior had been strange. Aside from being an endangered animal that could not be used as a pet and was much too expensive for the Tendo's to afford, the animal had acted more like a man than a beast. She saw the panda's tricks in a new light. The signs, the games it played with Soun, the drinking and the constant skittishness around her now made some sense. Upon reflection of events in her own life Nodoka realized that transformative curses were not that much of a stretch.

            "And that's why you hid from me," Nodoka noted. "My god, to have something so horrible befall you." She knew Genma had done bad things, but this was monstrous.

            "At first I thought so," Ranko said squeezing her mother's hand. "But you showed me that being a girl wasn't so bad. You taught me to accept myself, and to appreciate who I really am."

            "The makeover? But it happened so fast."

            "Those emotions weren't real, but thanks to you, they became real."

            Nodoka looked down to see a manicured hand holding her own. She understood now. Ranko, no Ranma, hated her body because it really was a curse. Ranma lied to her mother because she had been trying to find a cure. Nodoka also understood that she had turned her son into her daughter. The woman imagines that Ranma must have been battling the curse's affect on her mind until Nodoka tried to turn _Ranko_ into a young lady. It was her fault her child was sitting in front of her in a seifuku instead of out somewhere trying to become a man again. 

            "Are you happy this way?" Nodoka asked.

            "Oh yes, things are much better now. I know who I am, and what I want in life."

            "I understand why you wanted to keep living with me now. So you're now a woman?"

            "Yes, Ranma's body will never be seen again," Ranko promised. "I know what this might mean to you. I'm prepared to do whatever you say," the redhead then added.

            Nodoka paused in thought. She could hardly hold her child up to the contract. It was her doing that had created Ranko. Genma, however, was an entirely different matter, especially given what else he had done. It was his fault that Ranma had gotten cursed in the first place. However, her child still had no intention of becoming a man or living like one. It was then that Nodoka realized her solution. "Ranko is your intent to live as a woman for the rest of your life?"       

            "Yes, I is," the girl replied.

            "Do you agree that Ranma Saotome has failed in becoming a 'man among men'?"

            The redhead blinked. For some reason this question was harder than the previous one. She did not want to admit failure, defeat. "Yes, he has," she finally choked out.

            "Are you Ranma Saotome?" Nodoka asked as her final question.

            "I was," the girl said.

            Nodoka nodded. "Here are my terms: Ranma Saotome is dead. You are not to use that name. And you are forbidden from regaining a male body. If you agree to this, you will be released from the contract and you will be made my daughter. As my daughter I will expect you to carry yourself in a proper and feminine manner. Do you accept?"

            "Of course I do!" Ranko cried as tears welled up in her eyes.

            Nodoka then got up to hug the young woman. Ranko stood and accepted her mother's embrace. The two women then stood in the kitchen for a bit enjoying the moment. It felt as if all the secrets and lies were over. Somewhere, deep in the back of the girl's mind, this felt completely wrong.

            "Looks like I'll have to redo my makeup," Ranko laughed when she caught her reflection in a mirror on the wall and saw what her tears had done. She had essentially gotten what she wanted. Her mother now knew the truth and accepted her daughter in spite of it. For some reason she felt uneasy about having to give up being Ranma ever again. She had no idea why she would need that horrible body, but was strangely reluctant about giving it up.

            Nodoka smiled at the girl, this was clearly her daughter. Maybe she should give Ranko lessons in something other than feminine arts, maybe something more martial as opposed to marital. "So anything else happen at school today, or were you just stewing about this?" the woman asked, half-joking.

            "Well... there's a few things. I was wondering if I could have a slumber party here this weekend."

            "Of course you can," Nodoka replied.

            "Oh, there's one more thing. Eric asked me out on another date!"

            Nodoka wondered at her daughter's enthusiasm at the prospect of dating a boy. There was no way Ranko could be a guy. "Well, he is a nice boy," Nodoka allowed. "My, you have been busy today," she observed.

            "Well, it's been an exciting time," Ranko blushed. There were two things she left out, but Ranko knew she could not tell her mother about Sailor Phoenix and the shampoo was hardly relevant. It was just an accelerant.

            Nodoka smiled at this and decided to ask her question. "Daughter, are you still into martial arts? I knew Ranma was and I haven't seen you practice."

            "Oh yes," Ranko admitted. "I just did not do it around you because it's not ladylike."

            "Well, I am the heir to my family's sword style. As my daughter I could teach it to you," Nodoka offered.

            Ranko's eyes brightened. She knew her mother was an excellent teacher. The shampoo just made her want to be a woman, Nodoka was the one that taught her how to be one. "I'd love to," Ranko said, happy to have a mother again. Maybe she could get a sword for her Sailor Phoenix form.

***************

            The martial artist smiled. He had arrived. Inside the store he stood before were the keys to his plan. After he rid himself of that horrible curse of a body of his, he would seek out Ranma.

            The teen laughed again. Oh yes, that reunion should be most amusing. He snickered as he entered the strange curio shop. He would make his purchases, use them, and then find Ranma. The martial artist had been dreaming of that day, and so far the dreams of late had been most helpful.

***************

            Ranko looked at the clothes and accessories she had placed on her bed. Tonight was her first serious date, and she wanted it to be perfect. Earlier she had felt quite nervous and had wanted to call the whole thing off, but a nice shower tremendously eased her mood.

            She put on a green lacy bra and a pair of green bikini-cut panties. The redhead then slipped on a pair of nearly translucent nylons. She then got into a dress, that her mother had bought for her yesterday, just for this event.

            It had a nee length skirt with a low neck and the dress was red under her bosom and around the back and green everywhere else. She then slipped on a pair of three-inch red heels. Ranko then sauntered to her makeup bench. She first shaped her nails. It did not take much time. Every day she worked on them to make sure they kept their symmetry, proper curve and their three-tenths of an inch overhang. She then painted her nails a sparkling green and then glossed them. The girl smiled at the glamorous look her hands now had. It was always worth the effort.

            Ranko started on her hair. Its wavy curl was still set. The girl smiled as she picked up two hair combs. Curved and green, they had very fine teeth and each had two star rose quartz stones in them. She put the two combs on either side of the back of her head and used them to alter the flow of her mid-back-length cascade of hair.

            The redhead then went to work on her face. Her cosmetics skills had progressed very nicely, and she had found putting on makeup to be second nature now. Once she was done, she put on her jewelry and dabbed on some perfume.

            Ranko then picked a slim, square-shaped red leather purse with a thin strap. The redhead then moved her personal effects and makeup into the purse. She put the purse on, got up, and walked over to her full-length mirror. Ranko studied her reflection while making a few poses.

            "Perfect," Ranko said. She then looked at her watch. Eric should be here any minute now.

***************

            "So, I found a new recipe for pecan cookies," Ranko said to her date as she fingered the bouquet he had brought. The mix of roses and lilacs was a bit strange, but the redhead found the scent they created very intriguing

            "Really? Those are my favorites," Loki stated, sounding interested. He hoped that enough of Ranma had recovered that this date would not be another four hours of listening to a girly ninny ramble on and on.

            "I know," Ranko smiled as she put the flowers in a vase.            

            "Now, have a good time you two," Nodoka said maintaining her self-control. She hated to admit it, but her son was gone. This happy redhead before her was her child. That son of hers was just a memory. Nodoka sighed as she watched the two teens walk out the door hand-in-hand. It was best just to think of Ranma as dead.

            "Wait, before you go," the older woman said as she ran out of the room. She shortly returned with a camera. " Get closer," she said to the two teens who quickly complied. "It's a shame I forgot to do this with your first date."

            "Oh, that's okay," Ranko said smiling for the picture. "This is our first serious date."

            "Okay, now you two can go and have fun," Nodoka said after taking a few pictures of them. If she was going to have a daughter instead of a son, Nodoka wanted to do it right and document it.

***************

            "The problem with removing vast amounts of skin is the bleeding," Loki stated. This date was much more interesting than the previous one. Granted the topic of horrible torture methods was more morbid than the dialogue during their first date, but he would rather this than another lecture on hair and makeup.

            "I guess I'd have to bandage her up," Ranko considered as she spooned some more gumbo. This Cajun stuff was very good.

            "Why bother? It'd just complicate things. I'd go with something simple, like needles under her nails."

            "And then I could heat them," Ranko declared, looking much too happy and girlish for the conversation. "Ohhh, maybe I can get some venom and drip it into her eyes."

            Loki shuddered at this. That was not a fun time in his life. 

            "Something wrong?" Ranko asked her date, with concern etched on her face. She then reached out and held his hand. "I'm sorry, I guess this is an inappropriate conversation."

            "No, it's not that. Several years ago I got some poison in my eyes. Still have bad memories."

            "Oh, I'm sorry," the redhead said squeezing his hand in sympathy.

            "Don't worry about it." 

            Ranko nodded, "That's just for starters, afterwards I'll have to get the hot coals heated up for phase two."

            Loki fingered his collar and made a mental note to make sure that he didn't piss off Ranma in this lifetime or the next one. "And what happens in phase two?"

            With a gleam in her eye that could only be compared to the one seen on the face of a demon lord, she spoke in a carefully even voice. "Wouldn't you like to know."

            "Say, didn't you say that Setsuna was afraid of cockroaches?" she inquired as she politely wiped her lips with a napkin in a ladylike fashion. "I wonder if she has a heart condition."

            "I don't think so."

            "Shame. But then, where can I get Madagascar spitting roaches at this hour?"

            "Bob's Big House of Bugs," Loki replied automatically Loki made another mental note. Never EVER let this person talk to any of the creatures of hell.

            "Really? How much for a hundred? Oh, and do they eat human flesh?" Ranko asked more coquettishly than should be possible given the topic.

            "No, but the leeches would," Loki again said without thinking.

            "Hmm... Toss a box of roaches in, yet leave the bathroom door open for her to try to escape, then force her into a bathtub full of leeches. Playful, terrifying... I like it," Ranko said smiling to herself.

            "Say Ranko you're not really planning on doing all this to Setsuna are you?" Loki asked.

            "I'm not sure. Sometimes I really want to make her suffer. Other times I'm happy with just telling the Princess what she did and getting her powers revoked," Ranko sighed.

            "You think she'd do that to Pluto?"        

            "Definitely," Ranko nodded. "Sure, what she did had a good effect. It accelerated my awareness of my true self, but what if I didn't like being a girl? What if I had gone back to being Ranma? Would she have killed me?"

            Loki nodded and took a sip of water. Just great, despite remembering who she really was, the redhead still thought of herself as Ranko. At least she was plotting against Sailor Pluto. He also knew not to suggest that Ranko stop using the shampoo. He tried to do that on the way to the restaurant and she got most upset. Loki considered destroying her supply of the damn things, but he was fairly sure that Ranma would simply break free on his own given time.

            Ranko continued. "If this woman's going around brainwashing people and maybe even killing them, then what makes her any better than our enemies?"

            "You have a point," Loki admitted, and the two resumed their meal.

***************

            "I had a really good time," Ranko said smiling at her date. They were back at the place she shared with her mother.

            "Me too," Loki replied, and this time it was mostly truthful. He then looked down to see that the girl in front of him had closed her eyes and was leaning forward. Loki shrugged and bent down. He kissed the girl on the lips.

            Ranko took her arms from her sides and wrapped them around her date's back. He responded by doing the same. The girl was conflicted. One second she wanted to kill him for touching her like this the next she wanted to start fondling him and tear off his clothes. Her more even moods ranged from slapping him and storming inside to opening her mouth and making the kiss a bit more interesting.

            Despite having just eaten, Ranko felt a distinct hunger. But Ranko knew that some things should not be rushed. So instead, she settled by pulling away while smiling at him. She then opened the front door and blew him a kiss as she crossed the threshold. Loki blinked and rubbed the lipstick off his face. He then wandered off, not completely displeased with the day's events

            It was perfectly logical that he failed to notice the woman who had watched the entire exchange. She was one of the few people that was experienced in dealing with this particular Norse god.

***************

            Ranko enthusiastically opened the package. It had arrived while she was at school and was waiting for her on the kitchen table. According to the return address, Eric had sent her another gift. "Oh, wow," the redhead cooed when she got the gift out. It was a beautifully carved rosewood box that measured five inches tall, seven inches wide and ten inches long. It had gold hardware and engraved silver parts.

            Covering it were engravings of fire and phoenixes and carvings of hearts and trees. Ranko smiled at the gift. There was also a short poem engraved on the top of the lid. 

                        To all life there is death

                        To all death there is life

                        To all good there is evil

                        To all evil there is good

                        To all light there is darkness

                        To all darkness there is light

                        To chaos, lawful come

                        To lawful, chaos come

                        All mortals and immortals follow these;

                        but the Phoenix is above those powers.

            Ranko smiled at the sentiment and continued her inspection. She then noticed the heart-shaped clasp. Curious, she put her hand on it and the lid clicked open. Ranko was delighted to hear "Greensleeves" begin to play.

            She looked inside to see a small music box player to the right side, and a collection of cleverly placed jewelry drawers to the left side. Ranko then noticed another inscription on the inside of the lid.

Don't worry if it looks too long; I'm deeper than I look.

                        To she who is my mistress, I give you five things.

                        First: As only you, or people you give permission, to may open me.

                        Second: I can also hold more than I appear to. As long as it can fit through 

                        my opening, I can store it.

                        Third: Thrice a week, I can repair items placed within me. 

                        Fourth: Twice a week, I can heal living things.

                        And Fifth: Once a month, I can enchant an item placed inside me 

                        overnight, based on the contents of a note placed with it.

            The redhead marveled at this. Given that Eric had given her the transformation wand that allowed her to become Sailor Phoenix, she had no doubt that this device had such powers. The second part intrigued her. Using an umbrella the redhead was able to confirm the box's extra-dimensional nature. The girl smiled at this. The second power and the fifth could be most useful if used right.

            The beautiful notes were still playing when she noticed a slip of paper folded into the box. She pulled it out and read it, her eyes growing wide. This changed everything.

            Still holding the note, she sat down on her bed. Ranko then got up and closed the lid. She needed silence to think this through. It was amazing how much a few words could change things.

***************

            In his more adult guise, Loki returned to his apartment. The first thing he noticed was that the blender was running. Confused, he walked to the kitchen. There he saw a familiar face. "Hello Sigyn," the god said to his wife.

            The woman stopped the blender. "Oh, hi honey, I was just making some milkshakes."

            "Why are you here?" Loki asked.

            "I wanted to know why you were spending so much time in Japan. I must say your tastes are improving. A Senshi instead of a giantess," the goddess said nonchalantly

            "Oh, no," Loki said with dread.

            "Now, now calm down. I stayed by your side after that thing with Angrboda, and at least this time your kids won't be monsters."

            "Oh yeah, her. I'm relieved that you understand, but I must say it's not really romantic between me and Ranko," Loki explained.

            "You don't need to rationalize with me. I rather like the girl and approve of your choice. I even got her a gift." Sigyn added innocently. 

            "Oh no," Loki said as he filled with dread.

           "Don't worry," the god's wife chastised. "It's just a music box. Granted it has a few magical features, but they're good. I wouldn't trap it."

            "Good," Loki said with relief. He then heard his phone ring. "Wait one second," he said as he went to answer it.

            "Hello, this is Eric," Loki stated into the phone.

            "Hi, Eric," Ranko's voice said on the other end. "I just got your gift and-" Ranko then paused for a bit.

            "I'm sorry if it was inappropriate. I don't know what I was thinking," Loki stated.

            "No it was beautiful. I'm just trying to get the nerve..." Ranko paused again.

            "Okay," Loki said rather confused. Was Ranma finally coming back?

            "Yes!" Ranko then cried in a exuberant voice.

            "Yes to what?" Loki asked. 

            "I'll be your girlfriend, silly," Ranko said. "I'm sorry I should have done this in person, but I knew that if I waited I'd lose my nerve."

            "Oh, glad you accepted," Loki said, trying to figure out what just happened.

            "Your poem was so beautiful," Ranko said. "Oh dang, sorry mother wants me to go shopping with her. I'll call you later," the girl then said before hanging up.

            Loki then pulled the phone from his ear and stared at it. This was not good. "Sigyn," he stated without turning to her. "Why did you forge my handwriting to make a love note asking a girl to be your husband's girlfriend?"

            Sigyn smiled. "Well husband, while I don't mind you having a mistress, I only want to share you with one girl. This will keep you digamous. Hmm, I wonder what she's like in bed."

            "You know she's really a guy," Loki said sighing. It was always the women in his life that ruined things.

            "I never knew you swung that way," the woman laughed. "But really, that should make things interesting, and you do love interesting."

            Loki just sighed.

***************

            "So you have a boyfriend?" Nodoka asked her daughter, they were in a clothing store browsing for something special.

            "Yes, Eric asked me in a very sweet way, and I do like him," Ranko explained. "It's not too soon is it? We have had only two dates." The girl then looked at a strapless and very lacy bra.

            "No, it's not, just as long as things don't go too fast."

            "Don't worry, Eric's real good about that," Ranko said with a blush. She liked how he let her set the pace for the physical stuff.

            "I'm happy that you've found someone," Nodoka said with a smile. Reservations about Ranma aside, she truly was happy for her daughter. Nodoka remembered how boy-crazy her daughter was during that first week. She was pleased that when Ranko actually got a boy that she had mellowed out. 

            "So am I," Ranko smiled.

            "You ready for your sleepover? I might not be there that night." Nodoka asked her daughter.

            "Well, I have a few more things I need to get," Ranko admitted.

***************

            The next morning Loki waited by the front gates of the high school. His posture changed slightly when he spotted a certain girl approach. The redhead smiled when she noticed him. The girl closed the distance with a cute smile and a seductive gait.

            "Hello Eric," the girl said before leaning up to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

            "Hi, Ranko," Loki replied to the person who was brainwashed into thinking she was really a girl and tricked into thinking she was his girlfriend.

            "It's a shame I'm having a sleepover tonight," Ranko said.

            "Why?"

            "We can't do anything to celebrate just yet. Well you could come, but you'd have to be a girl," the redhead laughed. Despite being straight, Ranko found some appeal in the idea of turning her boyfriend into a woman. She would have short, dark hair, be very muscular, not overly cute ... the redhead shook her head to clear out those strange thoughts. She then hugged him and kissed her boyfriend again.

***************

            A trio of girls waked down the street. They were all wearing backpacks and carrying sleeping bags. "You sure about this?" Minako asked the other blonde. 

            "Yes, I like Ranko. She's very sweet," Usagi replied.

            "She does bake really well," Makoto noted with a bit of envy. The redhead was not only very ladylike and beautiful, but she was also very good at making desserts, candies, and other sweets.

            "Think Ranko will mind that Ami couldn't come?" Usagi asked.

            "Didn't you think it was odd that she only asked us to go to her sleepover. You know, the Senshi? It's a bit odd. Why didn't she ask any of her friends in the cooking or fashion clubs? It was just us."

            "She didn't ask Rei!"

            "That's because she doesn't go to our school," Makoto said with a sigh.

            "Look, I don't think she's an enemy."

            "No, she's too ditzy for that," Minako said with a smile. It was interesting to talk to a girl who was more boy-crazy than her and Makoto combined. Although that little pink book that she carried was a good idea. After seeing Ranko's, Minako got her own version. The blonde had a sneaking suspicion that Makoto now also had one.

            "You know she has a boyfriend now," Usagi said, shifting the topic.

            "Wow, I would have thought that she'd try to date all the boys first. Who'd she get?" Minako asked.

            "Discorso," Usagi replied.

            "Ahh, the foreign kid. He is good looking."

            "And funny. I wish I could have gotten to him first," Makoto interjected.

            "Why? Does he look like your old boyfriend?" Minako asked, smirking.

            "A little," the brunette admitted.

            "Quiet, we're almost there," Usagi said as they turned onto the street that Ranko lived on.

***************

            Ranko smiled as she put another movie in the DVD player. So far the night had been a marathon of what Loki would call "insufferably sappy and saccharine Shojo romances." For the redheaded host, things were going rather well. It had taken some snacks and a couple of movies to break the ice, but the now other girls were comfortable. Her mother was visiting some friends of her own and would be spending the night with them. Ranko loved it that her mother trusted her enough to leave her alone in the house.

            The conversation had shifted to boys. Something that Ranko's interest had waned in a bit. She was in a relationship after all. This did not stop her and Usagi from giving advice to the two single girls in the room.

            "Oh, dear. I'll go get us some more soda," Ranko said after noticing the beverages had run out.

            "She seems nice enough," Makoto noted once the redhead had left the room and gone down the stairs.

           "Yeah, I like her," Minako said as she looked around Ranko's room. It was less girlish than she imagined it would be.

            "I have the feeling that she's waiting for just the right time to tell us something," Usagi said.

            "Maybe she saw us transform and knows who we are," Minako suggested. A shrill beeping then forced her to look down at her communicator. She noticed that Usagi and Makoto had done the same thing.

            Rei's voice was then heard through the devices. "Something's attacking a couple of blocks south of the shrine. I haven't seen it yet, but it sounds like it smashed up a lot of cars." The shrine maiden then saw a motorcycle fly past her. "Looks like it's at the motorcycle shop."

            "We're on the way," Usagi said as she stood up.

            "What're we going to tell Ranko?" Makoto asked.

            "One of our friends called us and is in trouble," Usagi replied as she made her way out of the room. The two other girls followed their leader out and down the stairs. There they saw Ranko waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs.

            "You're going to fight some sort of monster?" the redhead asked.

            "How did you know?" Usagi blinked.

            Ranko sighed and summoned her transformation wand. She did not want to do this, it was more than fear of fighting a monster, there was something else, a fear of losing her sense of self.

            The three girls did not have time to register much of a response before their host was consumed in flames as she shouted, "Phoenix Rebirth Power! Make UP!"

            The flames then coalesced into clothing, makeup, jewelry, boots, and other items. The redhead was now dressed in a stylized seifuku with a white lacy bodysuit, a sparkling pleated miniskirt that was colored to resemble flames, orange and red glittery boots that had long green ribbons attached to their tops, elbow-length lacy white gloves with eight-inch green ribbons connected to their orange trim, and the expected pair of big green bows, with one over her chest and the other just above the back of her skirt.

            Her hair was the same style except now it was highlighted in orange and yellow. A large heart-shaped fire opal ornament decorated the back of her mane. Four spiraled green ribbons fell from the hair ornament. Her makeup had changed to match her new color scheme. On her forehead was a golden tiara with a gem of fire opal in the center. Her hanging earrings were now heart-shaped, and around her neck was a narrow, white choker with her Phoenix pendant in the center. 

            "I am Sailor Phoenix, and I think I can help," the girl said as her transformation died down. The girl then made a cute pose. 

            "I knew she was a Senshi! I just knew it!" Usagi joyfully declared. 

            Minako raised her eyebrow and shook her head. "This is... new." She observed.

            Makoto was about to say something but was cut off by the sound of the newest Senshi giving an almost inhuman yelp.

            "Gahh! Not again!" the redheaded magical girl swore. "That's it! I'm staying in this thing until I find a way to get my mind back," she declared as she looked at the Senshi uniform she was in. "Maybe Eric knows how to stop me from losing my mind. He did give me this stupid thing and he is my-" Phoenix cut off herself off, her eyes widening in realization.

            "Goddamn it! I can't believe it." the girl cried remembering the times with Eric. "Wait, she also told mom! And I agreed to do WHAT?" Ranko punched herself in the forehead. She squinted her eyes in the pain of ramming her tiara into her skull. "I just wish I could kill that damn life-ruining, chemically-induced, mind-controlling ditz," the irate magical girl promised as flames erupted around her body.

            "Um, Ranko? What's wrong?" Usagi asked with definite concern.

            "First off, that's not my name. Second we can talk after we kick the ass of that monster you're off to fight," Phoenix said as she tapped her foot impatiently. Some stupid creature would be perfect practice for her new powers. After that, she had a fair-sized list of people that would make excellent clay pigeons at a skeet range .

            "Ohhh-kay," Usagi said before transforming into Sailor Moon. Makoto and Minako shrugged and transformed. It made sense. They befriend the new girl, and she just happens to end up being a Senshi. At least it was better than her being a new enemy or some sort of magical spore from the future.

            "Come on, let's go!" Phoenix said after the other girls finished transforming. She had the desperate need to kill something. 

***************

            As Sailor Phoenix followed the other Senshi, her mind worked on the situation. This Pluto woman had brainwashed her, and now the only time when Ranko was not in control was when she's in Senshi form. Phoenix resolved to stop Ranko before she could cause anymore damage to her already mixed-up life.

            Her thoughts were interrupted by the increasing sounds of destruction. The four magical girls had arrived to find a metal monstrosity lumbering around a motorcycle dealership.

            Looking like it had been made by molding plates of metal into the shape of a twenty-foot tall man, the creature appeared to be smashing the show room. Phoenix saw another magical girl approach them. She was clearly a Sailor Senshi, but she did not match the description of Pluto that Eric had given her. 

            "Good, you're here. Be careful about this one. It's got good armor," Sailor Mars said with irritation. Her flame arrows could damage it but not too much. She then noticed the extra girl. "We've got a new Senshi?" she then asked, looking at the flame-haired teen.

            "Yes, Sailor Phoenix," Moon stated as she looked over the monster.

            "Nuts to this," Phoenix muttered. The redhead then positioned her hands, aimed at what looked to be the creature's head, and shouted "Phoenix Firestorm!"

            Sailor Moon was about to give her speech when a stream of fireballs shot from Phoenix's hands and pummeled the monster's head. The bombardment had torn several small holes into the featureless visage of the golem.

            The other fire-based senshi shrugged and released a Mars Flame Sniper. The fire arrow arced into one of the holes and detonated inside the monster. The other senshi followed suit and soon the giant metal man was being barraged by electrically charged leaves, blasts of white light, and deadly kisses.

            Unlike the others, Phoenix did not stay in one spot and lob her attacks. She closed in on the charging monster and fired at it while dodging the surprisingly fast punches it was throwing. Distracting it, she allowed for the other Senshi to fire onto it without worry of counterattack.

            The metal creature's armor was very strong. It lasted almost ninety seconds before succumbing to the onslaught. As the monster stumbled to the ground Sailor Phoenix released one last stream of flaming spheres into the smoking remains of its head. The golem shuddered for a second, then fell apart. The redhead smiled as she watched the pieces disintegrate into a grayish-black powder.

            "Okay. Now I feel a bit better," Sailor Phoenix said as she clenched her lacy, ribbon enhanced gloves. "Thanks girls. I needed that."

            "So, who are you?" Mars asked. She remembered that Usagi had made a new friend; who according to Makoto was a real airhead, worse than Usagi.

            Phoenix sighed. "I guess I should tell you. You especially," she said looking at Sailor Moon. The princess should be very interested to hear what one of her Senshi had been doing. "Come on back to my place then."

***************

            "Pluto did what?" Usagi asked. They had just returned to Ranko's, yet their host had did not want to transform out of her Senshi form. It was just the two of them in the kitchen. The other girls were upstairs. Phoenix requested a private conversation.

            "She brainwashed me into thinking I was some girly girl," Phoenix stated as she dumped the last of Ranko's mind-altering shampoo down the drain. That lilac scent sickened the redhead. "Now, the only way I can be in control is when I'm like this."

            "I don't get it. Why would she brainwash you? You're a senshi."

            "Apparently, the bitch thought I was a threat to her glorious future. So she stole my mind and body," Phoenix ranted as she washed out the sink with hot water. Confident that she had eradicated the last traces of that cursed shampoo from her home, she wondered if Kikuko would help in getting rid of the offending liquid at her store through the use of a funnel shoved down her throat.

            "My god," Usagi gasped. She knew Pluto was obsessive about Crystal Tokyo, but to do this. "Locking away your mind is unacceptable."

            Sailor Phoenix gave a dark smile. "Oh, that's not the worst of it. You see my real name's Ranma Saotome. I'm really a guy. But that was a problem for little Miss Pluto. So she made me into a sickeningly feminine airhead. She even took away my martial arts! Ranko hates fighting; she'd much rather date boys!"

            "She will be have to be dealt with," Usagi sighed.

            "Yes, she will. I guess we should go back upstairs and go to bed," Phoenix sighed.

            "Are you going to sleep in that?" the blonde asked.

            "I don't have any choice."

***************

            Nodoka arrived back into her house. She was relived to find her home was in perfect condition. The woman was happy that she could trust her daughter. She then heard someone coming down the stairs.

            Walking into the foyer, the older woman saw a girl about Ranko's age, height and hairstyle descending the staircase. "Who are you?" she asked the girl who was wearing an overly embellished and glittery uniform of some kind.

            "Ranma, your son," Phoenix responded. Her morning had been interesting. The uniform was not something designed for sleeping although once she got up it reverted to a pristine condition. She then had to get the other magical girls out of the house.

            "I have no son," Nodoka stated as she studied the strange redhead. There was something amazingly familiar about the girls face.

            "No, you have no daughter," the magical girl stated as she walked down the last few steps. "Ranko wasn't real. I was brainwashed into her."

            Nodoka recalled the day of Ranko's makeover. The change was very drastic and sudden. Ranko's explanation of embracing who she really was did not seem to explain that. The older woman also knew that Kikuko was unusually eager about the prospect of doing Ranko's hair. Nodoka's eyes widened in realization.

            Sailor Phoenix noticed this. "Good, we can talk in the kitchen," she said leading the older woman.

            Nodoka sat down at the table, and looked at the girl. "So, who are you? Ranma? Ranko?" The older woman could see it clearly now. This girl was her child.

            "Ranma," Phoenix said flatly. "Your oh so helpful hairstylist used some pressure points and mind-altering shampoo to turn me into Ranko."

            "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were Ranma. All I saw was a girl who hated her body. "

            "I hated this body because it was a curse," Phoenix interrupted.

            "I didn't know Kikuko would brainwash you. I'm sorry for turning you into this. I'm sorry I didn't see anything wrong with you," Nodoka said sadly.

            "Well, I was hiding from you out of fear of not being manly enough," the girl wearing glitter, lace, ribbons, bows, and a miniskirt stated. "But now, it really doesn't matter."

            "Why are you dressed like this?"

            "The shampoo has not worn off yet. If I detransform, she will take control again," Phoenix sighed.

            "Detransform? Are you some kind of magical girl?" Nodoka asked only half joking. She was just starting to get used to the idea of her son becoming her daughter. Now she had to face the issue that her hairstylist had been the one to brainwash Ranma into Ranko.

            "Yes. I'm Sailor Phoenix. Nearest I can tell, my Senshi magic protects me from the mind control." 

            "Oh," Nodoka said, rather shocked by the information. "Maybe you should go through this one more time?" the woman asked feeling a somewhat faint.  The life changing revelations of the day before had now been ripped to shreds and were replaced by even more amazing and horrible disclosures. 

***************

            Sailor Phoenix opened the door to Kikuko's Beauty Parlor. After getting things squared away with Mother, she knew where she had to go next. However, going outside in daylight would be a problem. Her mom had come up with a solution.

            Nodoka found the necessary items in the back of her closet. Apparently, they belonged to Genma when they first got married. The redhead was wearing a long brown-hooded coat over her Senshi seifuku and hair and a pair of dark sunglasses. 

            The resulting image was a somewhat strange one. A girl with red boots and white gloves peeking out of her coat and a made-up face under a hood and behind glasses. Despite the oddity, it was nowhere near as notable as if she were not wearing the coat.

            "Yes?" a stylist working reception asked the bundled girl. She assumed that the girl simply had a very bad hair day.

            "Please tell Kikuko Ayanami, that one of her clients has a hair emergency," Phoenix stated

            The receptionist nodded. "Please wait one minute," she said before getting up and walking to the back room. After a few seconds she called for the visitor to come in and meet with the stylist.

            "Yes, what's the matter?" Kikuko asked as she turned from sorting her the beauty supplies she kept stocked in her private styling room.

            After she closed the door behind her, Phoenix paused. She had some bad memories of this room. Here was where her mind had been stolen from her. Her eye flared and a pair of flaming orbs formed in her hands. "I'm here to give you an ultimatum," she said her voice carefully even.

            "What?" Kikuko asked, fear on her face. This strange woman was somehow generating fire from her hands.

            "Stop brainwashing your clients or I will destroy you," Phoenix said as she lobbed one of her orbs at a stack of familiar bottles. The shampoo containers burst open and burned, filling the room with the charred scent of lilacs.

            Kikuko shrieked. "I just use it to-" the woman tried to explain before being cut off by Phoenix.

            "To brainwash girls you think aren't feminine enough," Phoenix completed. "What you do hurts people. It destroys their real personalities. I will not let you continue this!"

            Kikuko whimpered at the glowering girl.

            "Now show me where you keep the rest of that god-awful stuff," Phoenix ordered.

            The stylist compiled. After showing the girl where she kept the shampoo, Kikuko was then forced to drain it all out into a sink. Phoenix wanted to make the stylist drink some of the stuff, but she did not want to hurt the woman... this time. If she had to come back things would be different.

            "Remember, if I hear that you're still brainwashing girls I _will_ be back," the redhead stated.

            "Who- who are you?"

            "Phoenix," the magical girl said as she picked up one of the newly empty bottles of shampoo. "Now I want you to tell me everything you know about this stuff: how you got it, how it works, how permanent it is, and everything else."

***************

            "Hello," Loki said answering his phone.

            "Hi Eric," a familiar voice said from the other end of the line.

            "Yes, Ranko?" 

            "First off that's not my name. Second: we're through. Third: if you ever touch me again I will kill you," the female voice responded.

            "Thank god you're back, Ranma," Loki sighed with relief.

            "What?" Phoenix replied in a confused voice.

            "I figured out why Ranko came back. Stay in your Phoenix form. Right now it's the only way you can keep your mind."

            "I know that, Eric. I've already talked to Kikuko."

            "So you know about the permanent effects?" Loki asked.

            "Yes, I want to know what's the best way to find a cure. I'm thinking of just waiting for the effect to wear off."

            "That might have complications. I can come over now."

            "Fine," Phoenix said before hanging up the phone. She then turned to her mother. "Eric will be over shortly."

            "And he can help you find a solution?" Nodoka asked.

            "He was the one who gave me my powers. Though I don't really trust him that much. Eric has his own agenda."

            "If he can help," Nodoka said. As much as she liked Ranko, the girl was not real; her son was.

***************

            "Ranma, sorry about the dating. I didn't want to get Ranko mad at me," Loki apologized to the magical girl. They were both in the living room of Nodoka's house.

            "Then why did you give me that box and ask me that question?" Phoenix demanded.

            "I didn't do that, a _friend_ of mine did," Loki stated

            "Eric, why would someone do that?"

            "She wanted me to have a steady girlfriend," the Norse fire god sighed. 

            "She? Who was that? For that matter, who _are_ you?" Phoenix asked.

            "Fine. I'm really Loki. That woman was my wife, Sigyn."

            "So you're the Dutch god of chaos?"

            Loki laughed. "Close. I'm a Norse god of fire. Chaos and disorder are more of hobbies of mine."

            "Oh," Phoenix said. She always knew the kami were out to get her. She decided to play along "And why is a god concerned about me?" Phoenix then looked down at her costume. A series of thoughts entered her mind: phoenix, fire god, chaos, magical assistant. "Good lord. I'm your Senshi."

            "Bingo." Loki stated. Senshi was close enough to avatar to work.

            "Wait, your wife wanted me to be your girlfriend? What's with that?"

            "A long time ago I had a mistress. Even had some kids with her, miserable little monsters. Sigyn took it very well. She even stayed by my side through the whole Baldur incident. But ever since then she's insisted that I have only two women in my life: her and a single mistress. She thought you would make a good one."

            "So, that was all her idea?"

            "Yup, she forged my handwriting and put it in that box."

            "Just to be perfectly straight. You did not want to be in a relationship with me."

            "No way in hell. You're really a guy, and Ranko is way too feminine and creepy," Loki explained.

            "Good," Phoenix said. She had no love for Ranko either. "Okay, back to the problem. Ranko wants to destroy me and take over permanently. I have to get her out of my head."

            "Yes, she thinks she's the real you and that Ranma is just a past life."

            "That's insane. I'm the real one. She's just a drug-induced thing."

            Loki nodded. "Your two extreme options are this. One, Ranko uses the shampoo for the full two months, giving her permanent control. You'll only be around when you're like this."

            Phoenix bristled. "That's what I have right now. She won't take over again."

            "The other one is to destroy Ranko. You stop using the shampoo, and when her control fades out, you rush forward and take control. This would eradicate her."

            "What about side effects?" the magical girl asked. This might be the best solution to her problems, but something seemed wrong about eliminating Ranko, despite her just being a parasitic personality.

            "Since Ranko had been using the shampoo for two weeks. There will be some fraction of her personality around."

            "So I'll never be rid of her?" Phoenix sighed.

            "Unless you spend the rest of your life like this."

            "You said you're a god, can't you use your powers to solve this?" Phoenix asked.

            "If I had my full powers, sure, but I'm on probation. I'm vastly reduced in power. Whatever help I can give I will."

            Phoenix studied the trickster's face. She could not tell if he was lying or not. "Are there any other options?"

            "Sure. You could have a timeshare. Each of you could switch between having control. Though that would have problems."

            "Neither of us would want just half of a life. Eventually one of us would try to lock the curse or cure it and take over," Phoenix surmised.

            "Maybe," Loki shrugged. "Maybe not. There is one other option. Merging."

            "Absolutely not. If I do that, I become her. I'll lose all of my mind."

            "Well, those are your options."

            "That's just great."

            ***************

            For the second night Ranma fell asleep as Sailor Phoenix. The first time her sleep had been uninterrupted by dreams. However, things were now different. Phoenix found herself standing in a small wooded glen across from another girl. She had the same hairstyle as Phoenix, except her hair was not highlighted with oranges and yellows. She was also wearing a frilly green dress instead of a Sailor Senshi Seifuku. Phoenix also noticed that in the middle of the clearing was a large flat-topped stone.

            Phoenix and Ranko stared at each other for a second. Before they could talk, a familiar person appeared on top of the stone. It was Loki in his Eric Discorso form. "Great, it worked," he said after looking at the two redheads.

            "What's going on Eric? How can he still be alive?" Ranko asked pointing to Sailor Phoenix.

            "His name's Loki," the magical girl replied.

            "I altered your dreams so you two could talk, and maybe figure out a solution to this thing. 

            "This is pointless, why should I talk to that mind-stealing _thing_?" both girls demanded nearly simultaneously.

            Loki looked at the two and shuddered. "This is kinda creepy. I'm leaving. Talk to you later," the Norse god said before vanishing. He then reappeared. "Oh Ranma, here you _can_ detransform safely. Just think about being male," Loki added before vanishing again.

            Phoenix closed her eyes. Her form shimmered and shifted. "Yes! I'm back," Ranma Saotome cried triumphantly. He was in his preferred body and clothing.

            Ranko blinked. Her past life was still there. "You broke up with my boyfriend!" she then accused.

            "He was never your boyfriend and you know it!"

            "Yes he was," Ranko insisted.

            "Don't kid yourself. You know that it was his wife who sent that box. Your relationship with him was a charade, just like everything else about your life," Ranma explained as he walked a few paces closer to the girl.  
            "I guess I'll just have to find another boyfriend then," Ranko said with a smirk, she was now leaning on the central stone.

            "Like you're going to get control ever again," Ranma laughed.

            "I'll get back, and I will have a _boy_friend," Ranko swore, emphasizing boy. "Damn, you and your liking of girls."

            "What? What does that have to do with anything?" Ranma asked. There was something strange about what the redheaded airhead had said. Recalling Ranko's memories he smiled. "Oh that's rich. Little miss perfect has had feelings for girls," Ranma laughed.

            "I like boys," Ranko glared.

            "What about Usagi?"

            "Shut up," the redhead defended.

            "What about when you fantasized about turning Loki into a girl?" Ranma asked, smirking.

            "Shut up!" Ranko then repeated, her eyes wide and angry.

            "Don't forget dreaming about truing Ryoga into-"

            "I said SHUT UP!" the redhead screamed, interrupting Ranma.  "It's all your fault; your influence made me a deviant. I didn't like girls or martial arts before you came back! But now I'm a Sailor Senshi and have all these perverse urges."

            "Awww, is the poor body-stealing thing unhappy that she likes girls too?" Ranma taunted.

            "Fine. Ruin my life. Though it was nice to get some spine," Ranko added.

            "Wait... you're not really mad about these changes, are you?" Ranma asked, laughing. "You're happy that you're now more assertive, independent, and such, and despite your bitching, you like that you're attracted to girls."

            "You're lying!" Ranko cried.

            "No. We share the same memories. You can't hide anything from me," Ranma observed.

            Ranko sighed and changed the subject. "You've already destroyed all the shampoo. What are you going to do, now that you're in control?"

            "The shampoo will wear off, and you'll be nothing more than a bad memory," 

            "You're going to kill me!" Ranko demanded, fear on her face.

            "You heard Loki, there's not much I can do."

            "Yeah, you're not happy with just being Phoenix," Ranko glared.

            "Would you be? _You_ were going to keep me locked away forever. Why shouldn't I do that to you?" Ranma asked.

            "I didn't know that you were still alive. I thought you were ME. I thought the makeover had made you into me."

            "You originally thought you were Ranko and that Ranma was a separate person," Ranma deadpanned.

            "Okay fine, after that I realized that had Ranma's body I thought, I was Ranma, or at least Ranma's replacement."

            "I was still around. You just denied it."

            "You've been around for sixteen years. It's my time," the redhead claimed, after she pulled herself onto the stone and sat on the edge.

            "No, because I've been around for sixteen years, I'm the _real_ one," Ranma rebutted.

            "But, I don't want to die," Ranko admitted her voice losing its defiance. "I'm afraid," the girl then said, almost crying.

            "Damn-it!" Ranma swore. "Why'd you have to act human!"

            "What?" the redhead asked.

            Ranma sighed and looked the girl in the eye. "I had just gotten used to the idea of getting rid of you. Nothing more than removing a parasite."

            "That's horrible!" Ranko exclaimed. She knew that that's what Ranma really thought of her. Unfortunately, the evidence seemed to show that this was the truth.

            "You thought I was dead. That you had already killed me," Ranma replied.

            "Well, yeah. How was I to know? I had only lost control as Phoenix once."

            "Now, I can't destroy you. It'd be like me killing a girl. This is all _your_ fault Because of you, my life is Hell!" Ranma exclaimed as he paced around the glen.

            "Stealing lines from Ryoga, nice," the redhead smirked despite herself. "I'm sorry you don't have the stomach to kill an innocent." 

            "You're hardly innocent. You were planning on keeping my body."

            "You were planning on killing me," Ranko stated.

            "Fine. We were both planning on bumping the other off."

            "So now what? You can't kill me, and I can't pretend you're dead," Ranko frowned.

            "You know our options," Ranma stated. He had now stopped pacing and was looking at Ranko. Her body was just like his cursed form, but so different too.

            "I take over; you kill me; we share our body; or we merge. In any of the cases you'd get Phoenix. I'm guessing the first two are out," Ranko listed.

            "Yeah," Ranma sighed while shaking his head.

            "And the last two are pretty much the same," Ranko said in the same tone and body language as Ranma's.

            "The you that came back after Phoenix was different from the one that Kikuko made," Ranma observed.

            "Yes, eventually we'll become the same personality," the redhead added.

            "No," Ranma insisted. He then looked at his hands. He had to do something.

            "I know what you're thinking, and I agree."

            The martial artist looked up. "Okay then," the words had a vile taste in his mouth, but there was no choice.

            "Yes. I dislike it as much as you do, but we don't have a choice."

[End Chapter 2

Thanks to my prereaders: Kevin D Hammel, Bill Heineman, KM, Wray Loflin, Mike Koos, and Jerry Starfire.


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